Evaluation of Globe Position Asymmetry in Endocrine Orbitopathy Patients and a Control Group - A Computed Tomography-Based 3D Cephalometric Analysis.

Background: Previous studies have shown that patients suffering from endocrine orbitopathy (EO) seem to present with profound asymmetry in proptosis. As asymmetry might pose a major problem in planning decompression surgery, information on the amount of variation between sides and a concise evaluation method should be available. Therefore, a study based on a concise 3D cephalometric analysis was conceived to evaluate globe position.

3-D cephalometry of the the orbit regarding endocrine orbitopathy, exophthalmos, and sex.

Purpose: This study aimed at evaluating the orbital anatomy of patients concerning the relevance of orbital anatomy in the etiology of EO (endocrine orbitopathy) and exophthalmos utilizing a novel approach regarding three-dimensional measurements. Furthermore, sexual dimorphism in orbital anatomy was analyzed.

Methods: Orbital anatomy of 123 Caucasian patients (52 with EO, 71 without EO) was examined using computed tomographic data and FAT software for 3-D cephalometry.