Clinical update: treatment of hyperthyroidism in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The presence of thyroid eye disease (TED) may influence the treatment of hyperthyroidism in patients with Graves' disease. Moreover, treatment of hyperthyroidism may affect the course of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). We review the literature and summarise recent knowledge about the impact of treatment modality for hyperthyroidism in GO. Anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs) remain the simplest and safest way to treat hyperthyroidism in patients with GO, but they are associated with a high relapse rate of hyperthyroidism and they have no effect on the course of GO. Radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment may be associated with exacerbation of GO especially in high risk patients, when glucocorticoid prophylaxis may be indicated. Large prospective trials are still lacking to define the exact effect of RAI on the course of GO, particularly in relation to other known risk factors. Likewise, clear guidelines for prophylactic glucocorticoid therapy are needed. RAI should be cautiously used in patients with more severe ophthalmopathy and concomitant I.V glucocorticoids should be considered. Thyroid surgery, whether total or subtotal thyroidectomy, has no effect on the course of ophthalmopathy. However, total thyroid ablation that combines surgery with radioactive iodine, as a means of achieving thyroid antigen disappearance, is increasingly gaining attention for the treatment of patients with GO, especially those undergoing thyroid surgery, but also for those with severe unresponsive ophthalmopathy. Studies supporting this approach are awaited.