AIM: To study the quality of life in patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy in China, to analyze the factors related to the decline of quality of life and to provide evidence for the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS: Totally 125 patients diagnosed with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy from January 2015 to January 2016 at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were included. Clinical data including gender, age, eyelid, conjunctival hyperemia and edema, lacrimal caruncle swelling, degree of proptosis, eyelid retraction volume, vision, diplopia were recorded. TAO-QOL questionnaire were investigated. The content was divided into two dimensions: visual function and appearance. Each dimension contains eight related questions. Final indicators for each dimension was the score. Independent t test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS tactics 22.0 software.

RESULTS: Eighty-eight valid questionnaires were included. The average score of visual function was 72.6±28.3 and that of appearance was 66.8±26.0; 28 cases(28/88)were in active phase while 60 cases(60/88)were in inactive phase. Visual function and appearance scores were 59.4±28.8 and 56.1±26.0 in active group; 78.8±26.1 and 71.8±24.6 in inactive group. Active group has decreased score for both visual function sore and appearance score(P=0.002 and P=0.008). The score of patients with mild TAO(26/88 )was 86.2±17.1 and 82.1±17.8; 70.3±28.3 and 63.3±25.5 for moderate-severe patients(55/88), 41.1±34.6 and 37.6±22.7 for extremely severe patients(7/88). The score of both visual function and appearance in severe group were significantly lower than those in the moderate-severe group(P=0.006 and P=0.007).Compared to mild group, those of moderate-severe group were significantly lower(P=0.012, P=0.001).The visual function score of patients in constant diplopia group were significantly lower than the no diplopia group, horizontal or vertical gaze diplopia and inconstant diplopia group(P<0.001, <0.001, =0.002). By multivariate regression analysis, we found the factors that influence visual function score were visual acuity and diplopia(R²=0.470), and those correlated to appearance score were exophthalmos, retraction and diplopia(R²=0.375).

CONCLUSION: TAO-QoL can be used as a simple and effective tool to evaluate the quality of life in TAO patients. The QoL score is related to disease staging and grading. Thus, shortening the course of active phase, decreasing the degree of diplopia and improving visual acuity are critical ways to improve the quality of life in TAO patients.