The burden of thyroid eye disease: Evaluating treatment outcomes on quality of life

BackgroundThyroid eye disease (TED) is characterized by inflammation of orbital tissue, proptosis, diplopia, and potential changes in facial appearance. TED has been associated with poor mental health and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) due to the combined impact of impaired visual functioning and changes in facial appearance. The study aims to determine the impact of treatments for TED on patients' HRQOL as a measure of comprehensive well-being.MethodsSystematic searches of literature in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases and grey literature sources were conducted. After de-duplication and screening, the modified Downs-and-Black criteria were used to assess the risk of bias. Baseline characteristics, HRQOL-questionnaire data, and mean HRQOL measurements were extracted.ResultsSearches yielded 313 studies from databases and 9 grey literature studies. 23 studies (2023 patients total) were included for quality assessment and data synthesis. Strabismus surgery yielded the greatest improvement in total HRQOL score. Surgical interventions improved visual function QOL (VF-QOL) and visual appearance QOL scores (Ap-QOL).Other medical therapies, including doxycline and selenium were effective for improving Ap-QOL.ConclusionSurgical interventions, particularly decompression, eyelid, and strabismus surgery, improved appearance-related QOL. Immunosuppressive therapy and doxyxycline contributed to progressive functional improvements over time. Longer follow-up durations were generally associated with greater patient-reported benefit from treatments.