Microsurgical endonasal decompression in dysthyroid orbitopathy

Abstract

Diagnosis of thyroid eye disease can be established by its history, signs, symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings of an autoimmune thyroid disease. Therapy for this disease is limited to a few options, which should be administered depending on its stage and inflammatory activity. When medication and radiation therapy fail indications for decompression are: loss of visual acuity or visual field defects, increasing strabism and severe keratopathy due to eyelid retraction. Numerous surgical decompression techniques have been described in endocrine orbitopathy. We have adopted endonasal microsurgery, because this technique gives the freedom to work bimanually, ensures a stereomicoscopic view of the intranasal landmarks of orbital walls and allows simultaneous decompression of the medial and inferior orbital wall as well as a good relief of pressure at the orbital apex. Decompressions were performed on 27 orbits in 17 patients, via the endonasal microsurgical, 3 via external approach. The microscopic approach was entirely comparable with regard to reduction of proptosis with a mean improvement of 4.1 mm against a mean of 4.7 mm by external approach and a mean 0.2 of better visual acuity in both procedures. The microsurgical technique is considered superior to an external approach avoiding external scars, neural pains and reportedly less diplopia. Also, trauma to the nalolacrimal and nasofrontal ducts are avoided. The healing phase and the hospitalization time is shorter.