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. 2012 Apr;26(4):544-51.
doi: 10.1038/eye.2011.359. Epub 2012 Jan 13.

Assessing Graves' ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life in Korean patients

Y J Choi  1 , H T Lim, S J Lee, S Y Lee, J S Yoon
Affiliations

Assessing Graves' ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life in Korean patients

Y J Choi et al. Eye (Lond). 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the clinical significance of Grave's ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life (GO-QOL) in Korean patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, on 98 consecutive Grave's ophthalmopathy (GO) patients. The GO-QOL survey provided by Terwee and colleagues and suggested by the European group on Graves' orbitopathy (EUGOGO) was translated into Korean language and distributed to study participants. Clinical severity was judged by scores of the modified NOSPECS classification, and inflammatory activity was measured by a seven-point scale of clinical activity score (CAS).

Results: The mean GO-QOL scores were 73.7 (standard deviation (SD), 26) for visual functioning, 61.9 (SD 26) for appearance, and 67.8 for total quality of life (QOL; SD 22). The worse QOL scores for each part were significantly associated with the higher modified NOSPECS score and CAS after adjusting for confounders such as age and sex (P<0.05, respectively). In particular, decreased QOL scores for visual function were significantly correlated with a higher grade of extraocular muscle involvement (P<0.05). Lower QOL scores for appearance were associated with more severe soft-tissue involvement and proptosis (P<0.05, respectively).

Conclusions: GO-QOL suggested by EUGOGO showed correlation with objective clinical parameters. GO-QOL can be a simple and effective tool in the evaluation of the clinical and psychological illness of GO patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effect of (a) modified NOSPECS scores and (b) clinical activity score on QOL scores of visual functioning and appearance in multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for age and gender. Vertical line ranges from maximum to minimum value. Bold square presents one standard error range. The number represents the mean of adjusted QOL scores for each section. CAS, clinical activity score; QOL, quality of life.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The effect of (a) soft-tissue involvement, (b) proptosis, and (c) extraocular muscle involvement by modified NOSPECS score on QOL scores of visual functioning and appearance in multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, and each component of the modified NOSPECS score. EOM, extraocular muscle; QOL, quality of life.
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