Endocrine ophthalmopathy

This complication is a lesion of tissues located around the eyeball, which develops as a result of a malfunction of the immune system. With this disease, a dystrophic change occurs in the various structures of the eye, for example, oculomotor muscles. The mechanism of this complication lies in the fact that antibodies formed in the body to the thyroid hormones contribute to the development of inflammatory changes in fatty tissue located in the eye socket behind the eyeball. Inflammation leads to an increase in the volume of fat. The above changes lead to the development of "putesygazia" and dystrophy of the oculomotor muscles. The disease occurs in three stages.

I stage is characterized by the appearance of eyelid swelling, a person has complaints of pain in the eyes, lacrimation.

II stage is characterized by joining the complaint for double vision in the eyes when looking at objects( diplopia).

III stage is the most severe and is characterized by incomplete closure of the ocular gap, as well as pronounced dystrophic changes from the eyeballs, such as atrophy of the optic nerve and the appearance of ulcerative defects on the cornea.

Signs of endocrine ophthalmopathy develop gradually. First, changes occur only from the side of one eye. When the disease progresses, the second eye is affected. The feeling of pressure localizing behind the eyeballs begins to disturb. As the process progresses, the feeling intensifies. Attaches increased sensitivity to light, carvings in the eyes. With the passage of time, exophthalmos( "eyelids") develop, which usually leads to incomplete closure of the eyelids. With an increase in the fatty tissue of the orbit, there is a violation of the outflow of blood from the eyes, which is manifested by the appearance of edema around the eyeball. Also, the progression of the process leads to compression of the optic nerve, which is manifested by impaired color perception, narrowing of the visual fields and edema of the optic nerve, which is revealed when viewed by the oculist. Treatment of endocrine ophthalmopathy includes compulsory treatment of diffuse toxic goiter, or rather, the state of thyrotoxicosis. It is necessary to achieve a stable state of normalizing the level of thyroid hormones in the blood. In the case of the development of the second stage of endocrine ophthalmopathy, glucocorticoid preparations are prescribed in a dose that is selected in each case strictly by the individual physician. The drug is taken at the prescribed dosage for two weeks. Then the dosage is halved and gradually brought to 5 mg per day. Treatment with a maintenance dose of the drug usually lasts for 2-3 months. In the case of ineffectiveness from treatment with glucocorticoids( hormonal drug), they switch to treatment with X-ray radiation. If there is a threat of development of vision loss, operative treatment is performed, in which removal of some orbital walls is performed.