Radiation therapy for thyroid eye diseases.

Sixty-two patients (28 men and 34 women, 26 to 84 years old) with thyroid ophthalmopathy were treated with approximately 20 Gy of fractionated photon irradiation. Eight of 14 patients with motility problems improved after treatment. Ten of 14 with thyroid optic neuropathy improved or stabilized, but four had recurrences within five months after completion of irradiation. Generally, patients who had disease durations of less than six months responded better than those with more long-term ocular changes.