Aims. To study ocular changes in patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy and to evaluate the possible harmful effect of pollution.

Materials and methods. 245 patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy on regular follow-up in 2004–2005 in the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department of the Kaunas Medical University Clinic were recruited for the study. A comprehensive examination of their ocular and thyroid status was performed. Patients were grouped according to their residence in the Kaunas city regions (Romainiai, Šilainiai, Vilijampolė, Žaliakalnis, Centras, Aleksotas, Dainava, Šančiai, Petrašiūnai, Panemunė). We evaluated the possible role of pollution in Kaunas regions on the development of ocular changes in patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy.

Results. We examined 245 Kaunas city residents with endocrine ophthalmopathy (mean age 53.4 ± 14.16 years). Thyroid hyperfunction was found in 104 patients (42.4%). The majority of patients were from Dainava (87, 35.5%), Žaliakalnis (48, 19.6%), Šilainiai (32, 13.1%) and Centras (12, 4.9%). The mean proptosis was 17.53 ± 2.32 mm. Exophthalmus was less than 20 mm in the majority (right eye (OD) 86.5%, left eye (OS) 84.1%) of patients. The average visual acuity of the right eye was 0.7 ± 0.35 and of the left eye 0.7 ± 0.36. Ocular signs were found in 203 (82.9%) patients.

Conclusions. Most of the patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy were aged 40–60 years, the majority being females with hyperthyrosis. Most of our patients were Dainava, Žaliakalnis, Šilainiai and Centras residents and lived near intensive traffic roads. Environmental pollution might have a possible harmful effect on the development of ocular changes in patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy.

Keywords: endocrine ophthalmopathy, environmental pollution, ocular changes