# Efficacy of Compound Betamethasone Periocular Injection Combined With Oral Mycophenolate Mofetil in Active Thyroid‐Associated Ophthalmopathy: A Pilot Study

## TL;DR

This pilot study found that combining a periocular steroid injection with an oral drug improved symptoms in patients with active thyroid-related eye disease.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel combination therapy for active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy using betamethasone and mycophenolate mofetil.

## Key findings

- Most patients showed a significant decrease in Clinical Activity Score (CAS) of two points or more.
- Patients experienced reduced proptosis and extraocular muscle thickness, with diplopia improvement in six cases.
- The treatment was equally effective regardless of prior radioactive iodine or methimazole use.

## Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of combined therapy of compound betamethasone periocular injection and oral mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in treating active thyroid‐associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).

A retrospective study was conducted on 17 patients with active TAO treated with compound betamethasone periocular injection combined with oral MMF from February 2022 to August 2023, involving a total of 31 eyes.

In one eye, the Clinical Activity Score (CAS) decreased by less than two points, while in the remaining eyes, the CAS decreased by two points or more. Patients exhibited decreased proptosis, a reduction in average extraocular muscle thickness, and improvement in diplopia in six cases. Subgroup analysis indicated that this regimen showed no significant difference in efficacy for patients treated with radioactive iodine therapy or oral methimazole medication at baseline.

Combined therapy of compound betamethasone periocular injection and oral MMF is an effective approach for treating active TAO.