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PTERIONAL ORBITAL DECOMPRESSION IN PROGRESSIVE OPHTHALMOPATHY OF GRAVES‘ DISEASE
Author(s) -
ALGVERE P.,
ALMQVIST S.,
BACKLUND E.O.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1973.tb06025.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diplopia , photophobia , decompression , visual acuity , surgery , prednisolone , eye disease , graves' ophthalmopathy , ophthalmology , graves' disease , disease
Twenty‐seven patients with Graves' disease and progressive ophthalmopathy in an advanced stage underwent a transtemporal orbital decompression. The short‐term results, i.e . within 2 months, of 48 operations are reported. Prior to the decompression, oral prednisolone, 20–60 mg daily, was given for 2 to 9 months to 15 patients. A minority of patients experienced temporary improvement during steroid administration. Cushing's syndrome was initiated in all patients. Prednisolone little altered the course of the progressive ophthalmopathy. Orbital decompression was followed by increasing visual acuity in 8/22 eyes with disturbed vision, a temporary decrease in 6 eyes, and unaltered visual acuity in the remaining 8 eyes. The decompression removed oedema of the optic disc in all eyes, cured glaucoma in 3 out of 5 patients, caused retraction of the eye bulbs by 5–6 mm in almost all operated cases, and increased compressibility of the orbital content from low (2–5 mm) to normal (6–10 mm) values. Surgery also relieved photophobia and lacrimation, but the effect on diplopia was uncertain. Generally, the decompression was followed by a rapid improvement of the orbital congestion and the patients recovered satisfactorily from the surgery.