A questionnaire survey on the management of Graves' orbitopathy in China / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

[Summary] To determine how endocrinologists in China access and treat patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) and gain insight on how to make the management of this disease more uniform and standardized in the context that management of GO continues to be challenging.Based on the questionnaire used in the European survey on GO,a questionnaire in Chinese was drafted and circulated to the members of Chinese Society of Endocrinology (CSE).There were a total of 124 valid responders.The majority (94.4％) of the responders believe that a muhidisciplinary approaches for GO management is valuable.Over 80％ of the participants advocated the evaluation of exophthalmometry,vision,visual fields by perimetry,eye movements,fundoscopy,TSH receptor antibodies,thyroid function,and ultrasound.Steroids were preferred as the first-line therapy by 92.7％ of responders,among them,59.7％ choose intravenous route.The treatment strategy for GO with intravenous glucocorticoids therapy still remains debated.Antithyroid drugs were the most common choice (72.6％) for first-line therapy of thyrotoxicosis.Treatment options for GO were very similar among Chinese,Latin-American,and European responders,though radioactive iodine and surgical treatment were more often indicated in China.The appropriate treatment of the patient with GO is controversial even amongst thyroid specialists.Further training of clinicians,easier access of patients to specialist multidisciplinary centres,and the publication of practice guidelines may help improving the management of this condition in China.