Abstract

Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study
Purpose: Compare the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, ganglion cell complex thickness and optic nerve head morphology in early thyroid eye disease using SD OCT, thereby to analyze these parameters in early thyroid eye disease and its relation to severity of orbital disease.
Methods: Sample of individuals above 15 years with early thyroid eye disease (exophthalmos <3mm and high T3, T4 values) were recruited for the study. RNFL-GCC thickness and optic nerve head morphology explored by OCT, using 3D OCT-1000 spectral domain device (TOPCON).
Results: The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured using SD OCT showed an increase in RNFL thickness in all the quadrants among active cases. The study showed no significant changes in average GCC thickness.
Conclusion: Increase in RNFL thickness correlates with disease activity. OCT findings suggest that retina is involved in thyroid eye disease as early as subclinical stage.