Increased retinal blood flow in patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy

PURPOSE: To investigate retinal blood flow by Heidelberg retina flowmeter in patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy in euthyroid state and thirty normal controls were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure detection, complete ophthalmological examination, Hertel's exophthalmometry, and retinal blood flow analysis by Heidelberg retina flowmeter. Patients additionally underwent automated threshold perimetry and extraocular muscle thickness measurement by A-scan ecography. RESULTS: A significant statistical difference was found in exophthalmometry (P<0.001), intraocular pressure (P<0.001) and retinal blood flow (P