title: Evaluation of the patients with Grave's ophthalmopathy after the corticosteroids treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Graves' ophthalmopthy is one of the most common causes of exophthalmos as well as the most common manifestation of Graves' disease. The treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy includes ophthalmological and endocrinological therapy. The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate the patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy treated with corticosteroids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of 21 patients was performed in the Ophthalmology Clinic and Endocrinology Clinic, Clinical Centre Kragujevac, in the period from 2009 to 2010. They were treated with pulse doses of intravenous corticosteroids. They were referred to ophthalmologist by endocrinologist in euthyroid condition in the active phase of Graves' ophthalmopathy (ultrasonography of orbit findings and positive findings of antithyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody--anti-TSH R Ab). The clinical activity score (CAS) and NO SPECS classification for evaluation of disease severity were used. Ophthalmological examination includes: best corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp exam, Hertels' test, direct ophthalmoscopy and ultrasonography of the orbit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to our results 76.19% of the patients were female; mean age of the patients was 35.2 +/- 5.6 years. According to CAS classification after 6 months of the treatment recovery was shown in 23.81% of the patients, partial amelioration in 47.62% and no clinical amelioration in 28.57% of the patients. We achieved better results with male, young patients with high clinical activity score. Good results were observed after the first dose of corticosteroids, much better CAS after the third dose, which maintained until 6 months after the first treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results signify that intravenous pulse dose of corticosteroids treatment of the patients with Graves' ophthalmopthy is safe, comfortable, clinically justified and accessible for the clinicians and patients. Positive results are achieved after the first dose with increasing trend up to the third dose, which was maintained for the next three months.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Clinic, Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Srbija. mira.andreja@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mirjana Janićijević
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarenac
authors.forename: Suncica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srećković
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vulović
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Janićijević
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone