Thyroid Eye Disease: Cause, Effect, and Treatment Options

The heterogenous presentation of thyroid eye disease (TED) can commonly result in an initial misdiagnosis leading to delays in the initiation of appropriate treatment. Adding to this complexity, the severity of TED can also be quite variable, making early diagnosis challenging. Management of this disease is defined by the phase of disease with the inactive phase usually being treated surgically. Systemic immunosuppression with corticosteroids with or without orbital radiotherapy has traditionally been utilized in the treatment of the active phase of TED. The US Food and Drug Administration approval of the first biologic agent for the treatment of adults with TED has resulted in a paradigm shift in the management of these patients. In this CME activity, experts in the field will review the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and optimal methods to differentially diagnose TED, as well as assess the efficacy, safety, and ability of currently available therapies to restore visual function and appearance.