Evaluation of Mood Disturbance in Korean Patients With Dysthyroid Ophthalmopathy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: to measure mood disturbance of Korean patients with dysthyroid ophthalmopathy according to the severity of ophthalmopathy. METHODS: Fifty patients with dysthyroid ophthalmopathy (mean age: 46.6+/-12.1 years; 32 female patients and 18 male patients) were included, and classified into 2 groups according to the disease severity. Twenty-five patients were classified with moderate/severe diseases (study group) and 25 patients classified with negligible/mild disease (control group). All patients completed a mood survey of 65 questions to assess differences in the degree of emotional distress. RESULTS: Analysis of each group showed that patients with moderate/severe ophthalmopathy had significantly greater emotional distress than patients with negligible/mild ophthalmopathy according to the Korean Profile of Mood States mean total score (p=0.03). In particular, patients with disfigurement (proptosis predominant group) had significantly worsen emotional distress compared with the control group (p=0.007), whereas patients with diplopia (diplopia predominant group) had no significant difference compared with the control group (p=0.60). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with moderate to severe ophthalmopathy have significant emotional distress, and severe mood disturbance especially when disfiguring signs are predominant. The psychological burden of the disease should be recognized, and routine follow-up recommended along with additional psychiatric consultation.