Historically, there have been few treatment options for patients with active thyroid eye disease (TED), but new research and clinical trials are revealing a new horizon for managing the rare autoimmune disease that causes tissue behind the eye to become inflamed.
“For a long time, many patients with TED went unrecognized because, outside of surgery, there weren’t a lot of treatments,” says Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and Clifford R. and Janice N. Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Now, there’s more awareness around diagnosis, and we’re learning and developing more treatments for patients.”
Subramanian, a TED specialist at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, explains who’s at risk for the disease, symptoms, and the latest on how ophthalmologists diagnose and treat the disease.
“It’s important for patients who think that they might be developing signs and symptoms to go and see an ophthalmologist to determine a proper diagnosis, and to potentially talk about treatment that can help improve their quality of life,” he says.