Farhad Hafezi, ESCRS 2018 – The link between thyroid disorders and corneal disease

The relationship between thyroid disorders and corneal disease has been documented since the late 1930s. In this interview, filmed at ESCRS 2018, Dr Farhad Hafezi tells us more about this connection. He explains the surprising results of a major study on hormone levels during pregnancy and the cornea, and also describes the link between hypothyroidism and corneal topography and biomechanics. Dr Hafezi and his colleagues are currently undertaking two studies, one laboratory-based to investigate animal models without thyroid function, and the other a clinical trial to investigate the effect of thyroid hormone adjustments in patients with hypothyroidism.

Questions:
1. What is known about the influence of thyroid hormone on the cornea? (0:09)
2. Could you tell us a little about your recent study investigating pregnancy-induced changes in corneal biomechanics? (1:15)
3. In which patients should hyperthyroidism be suspected is corneal topographical fluctuations are seen? (1:51)
4. Does hyperthyroidism influence other aspects of corneal health? (2:24)
5. What further studies are planned? (2:40)
6. What are the future implications for this work? (3:30)

Speaker disclosures: Farhad Hafezi has no relevant conflicts of interest.

Filmed at the 36th Congress of the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS), Vienna, Austria, 22–26 September 2018