Back to Journals » Clinical Optometry » Volume 2

Primary open angle glaucoma and hypothyroidism

Authors Kitsos G, Pappa C, Tsatsoulis A

Published 14 January 2010 Volume 2010:2 Pages 5—8

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTO.S8048

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 5



George Kitsos1, Chrisavgi Pappa1, Agathoklis Tsatsoulis2

1Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece; 2Endocrinology Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

Purpose: To test the hypothesis: is there an association between primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and hypothyroidism, and to establish the necessity of routine examination of thyroid function in these patients?

Design: Observational cross sectional study.

Materials and methods: 78 consecutive patients with a previous diagnosis of POAG and 77 control patients were evaluated for hypothyroidism. The levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxin and triiodothyronine were measured.

Results: No patient had hypothyroidism and no correlation was found between glaucoma and either thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxin or triiodothyronine.

Conclusion: This study determined there is no an association between glaucoma and hypothyroidism. Therefore, we believe that the systematic screening for hypothyroidism in all patients with POAG is unnecessary.

Keywords: primary open angle glaucoma, hypothyroidism, intraocular pressure, thyroid hormones

Creative Commons License © 2010 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.