Pterional orbit decompression in Grave’s disease with dysthyroid optic neuropathy

Abstract Objective The choice of surgical technique in sight-threatening Grave’s orbitopathy remains controversial. Available data are mostly derived from mixed cohorts with multiple surgical indications and techniques. The authors assessed predictors for visual outcome after standardized pterional orbital decompression for dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). Methods Retrospective analysis of 62 pterional orbital decompressions performed on 40 patients with DON. Results Visual acuity improved by an average of 3.8 lines in eyes with preoperative visual impairment (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8 – 5.8 lines, p Conclusions This cohort is the largest series of pterional orbit decompressions, and the first to focus exclusively on dysthyroid neuropathy. Complication rates were low. Decompression surgery was highly effective at restoring and maintaining visual acuity in patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy.