Investigation of ocular changes in children and young people with thyroid diseases before and after the treatment with 20 % honey solution eye drops

The objective of the study was to investigate ocular changes in children and young patients with thyroid diseases before and after the treatment with 20 % honey solution eye drops. There were examined 33 patients with thyroid diseases and corneal, conjunctival changes. There were 25 girls and 8 boys. Their age was from 6 to 29.5 years. Mean age of patients was 13.2 ± 3.7 years old. 17 patients were treated with 20 % honey solution eye drops, 16 – with artificial tears (three times a day, for 3 weeks). There was evaluated the state of eye conjunctiva and cornea, visual acuity, proptosis before and after the course of treatment. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including best-corrected Snellen visual acuity, slit–lamp, corneal sensitivity investigations and Hertel exophthalmometry. The treatment with 20 % honey eye drops reduced complaints of patients (photophobia, itching, foreign body sensation, tearing and pain of the eye ball), statistically significant improved visual acuity, status of conjunctiva (redness, swelling) and cornea (fluorescein staining, corneal sensitivity and erosions) in comparison with those patients who used artificial tears. There was no change in proptosis measurements after the treatment. We have found more positive effect of 20 % honey solution eye drops on the state of the conjunctiva and cornea in patients with thyroid diseases when the treatment was started at the early period of thyroid diseases while there were no corneal damages. 20 % honey solution eye drops reduced complaints of patients, statistically significant improved visual acuity, status of conjunctiva (redness, swelling) and cornea. Honey eye drops may be used to prevent conjunctival and corneal complications in patients with thyroid diseases and corneal, conjunctival changes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ct.61.3.2714