title: Presence of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of ophthalmopathy in Hashimoto's patients and to make a comparison in subgroups of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 110 Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients and 50 control subjects attending to the endocrinology department of the hospital. Subgroup classification of patients was made as euthyroid, subclinic and clinic in Hashimato's thyroiditis. All patients were evaluated by a single experienced ophthalmologist for the prevalence and characteristics of eye signs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalences of eye changes were 22.7% (25 patients) in patients and 4% (2 persons) in control subjects respectively (P=0.002). In patients the most common symptom was retrobulbar eye pain with or without any eye movement. Thirteen patients had significant upper eyelid retraction (11.8%). Six patients had eye muscle dysfunction as reduced eye movements in up gaze. In control patients one person had proptosis and another had lid retraction. The clinical activity score and classification of the ophthalmopathy did not show any significant differences among subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The eye signs were mostly mild (22.7%) and the most common eye sign was the presence of upper eyelid retraction (11.8%). Additionally six patients had eye muscle dysfunction as reduced eye movements in up gaze. Therefore we recommend to make a routine ophthalmic examination in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients in order not to omit the associated ophthalmopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Samsun Training and Research Hospital, Samsun 55090, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emrah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun 55139, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif Kilic
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Şevgi Atasagun State Hospital, Nevşehir 50000, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülcin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ecemis
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun 55139, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colak
keywords: Graves' ophthalmopathy; Hashimoto's thyroiditis; thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy; upper eyelid retraction