GRAVES OPHTHALMOPATHY AFTER SUBTOTAL THYROIDECTOMY AND RADIOIODINE THERAPY

Forty-five patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy were studied prospecti vely. Twenty-one patients (42 orbits; group 1) were treated surgically , by subtotal thyroidectomy and 24 (48 orbits; group 2) received radio iodine therapy. All patients underwent tests of thyroid function, opht halmological examination, and axial and coronal computed tomography be fore and 12 months after treatment. Patients in group 1 showed signifi cant improvement in the Feldon score (P < 0.001), in proptosis as esti mated by Hertel exophthalmometry (P < 0.001) and in proptosis (P < 0.0 01), maximum diameter of the medial rectus (P < 0.01), lateral rectus (P < 0.05), superior group (P < 0.05) and inferior rectus (P < 0.001) muscles as estimated by computed tomography. Patients in group 2 showe d significant improvement only in the Feldon score (P < 0.05). The oph thalmopathy of Graves' disease improves to a greater extent after subt otal thyroidectomy than after radioiodine therapy.