Effect of steroid pulse therapy with and without orbital radiotherapy on Graves' XXXX .

@entity1 @entity1667 @entity1184 @entity5768 @entity228 @entity6875
PURPOSE: To report the effect of high-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy with and without orbital radiotherapy on Graves' @entity6875 . DESIGN: Nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: We selected 39 Japanese @entity1 (age range, 22-64 years; mean, 48 years; 31 @entity1 , 8 @entity1 ) who had active Graves' @entity6875 among 195 consecutive @entity1 . In the first 20 @entity1 , high-dose intravenous @entity1667 pulse therapy (1 g per day for 3 successive days, repeated 3 times within 3 weeks) followed by 24-Gy orbital radiotherapy was performed. In the other 19 of the 39 @entity1 , high-dose intravenous @entity1667 pulse therapy without orbital radiotherapy was performed. Coronal computed tomography (CT) of the orbit and exophthalmometry were performed before the corticosteroid pulse therapy, and 1 and 6 months after the corticosteroid pulse therapy. The maximum coronal section area of the most @entity1184 rectus muscle in each eye was measured based on orbital CT imaging. RESULTS: Clinical findings at study entry were not significantly different between the two groups. No significant difference was found in the maximum coronal section area of the most @entity1184 rectus muscle and the results of exophthalmometry measurements in both groups before the therapy. Extraocular muscle @entity1184 was significantly reduced 1 month and 6 months after the therapy (P < .01) in both groups. However, no beneficial therapeutic effect on @entity5768 was observed in either group at 1 month and 6 months after the therapy. No significant difference in the therapeutic effect on extraocular muscle @entity1184 and @entity5768 was found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital irradiation after @entity228 pulse therapy had no beneficial therapeutic effects on rectus muscle @entity1184 or @entity5768 of active Graves' @entity6875 during the 6-month follow-up period.
