EVALUATION OF CONJUNCTIVAL MORPHOLOGY IN THYROID-ASSOCIATED EYE DISEASE BY USE OF IMPRESSION CYTOLOGY

Thirty-one patients with the diagnosis of thyroid associated eye disea se were included in the study Samples were obtained from upper and tem poral bulbar conjunctiva of both eyes by cellulose acetate filter pape r, Control group included 20 healthy individuals, In patients with thy roid associated eye disease, grade 2 or 3 squamous metaplasia was obse rved in 32.26% of the samples obtained from upper bulbar conjunctiva, whereas this ratio increased to 82.26% in temporal bulbar area, None o f the control cases showed changes of grade 2 or more. The evaluation of cytological changes with respect to clinical findings revealed that the main factor responsible for the cytological findings was inflamma tory changes of the conjunctiva, whereas interpalpebral distance and p roptosis had only a partial effect.