To investigate corneal changes in patients with inactive thyroid eye disease (TED) using advanced imaging techniques.
Key Findings:
Significant central corneal stromal thinning observed in TED eyes compared to controls.
No significant differences in corneal epithelial thickness between TED and control groups.
Conventional corneal topographic indices remained within normal limits, indicating preserved anterior corneal shape.
Interpretation:
The study highlights that stromal thinning is the primary structural alteration in inactive TED, suggesting a need for layer-specific assessments in clinical practice.
Limitations:
Only inactive TED cases were included; changes in active disease remain unknown.
The underlying mechanism for stromal thinning is not fully understood.
Conclusion:
Layer-specific corneal assessment is crucial in TED, as stromal thinning may affect clinical decisions regarding refractive surgery and biomechanical stability.
