Case report

Thiazolidinedione induced thyroid associated orbitopathy

Seongmu Lee¹ , Angelo Tsirbas¹ , Robert A Goldberg¹ and John D McCann^1,2

¹Division of Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and the Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA

²Center for Facial Appearances, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Ophthalmology 2007, 7:8doi:10.1186/1471-2415-7-8

Published:	26 April 2007

Abstract

Background

To describe an episode of thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO) following the initiation of thiazolidinedione (TZD).

Case presentation

We report a female patient with a history of Graves' disease and stabilised thyroid associated orbitopathy for 2.5 years, who experienced rapid progression of TAO after the initiation of thiazolidinedione for glycemic control. Following the discontinuation of TZD, the patient experienced subsequent stabilisation of disease and normalization of vision. The medical history, ophthalmic findings, and clinical course are discussed.

Conclusion

Thiazolidinediones may exacerbate TAO, and this should be taken into consideration when selecting treatment for diabetic patients with a history of autoimmune thyroid disorders.