by Mary J. Shomon

October, 2002 -- British researchers have found that radiation to the eye areas, a procedure known as "orbital radiotherapy," is not effective as a solo treatment to deal with thyroid eye disease, and in particular, reducing or eliminating double vision. Patients were studied over a six year period, and approximately half of the patients went on to require surgery. While orbital radiotherapy is extensively used to treat thyroid eye disease, this is one of the first times the effectiveness on the eye's motor function and impact on the disabling diplopia/double vision symptom has been evaluated.

Source: "Radiotherapy in thyroid eye disease: The effect on the field of binocular single vision," Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, April 2002, Vol. 6, Number 2.