Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a disease in which the soft tissues surrounding the eye can become inflamed, scarred, and at times permanently damaged in an autoimmune reaction highly associated with abnormal thyroid hormone levels. Some patients have much more severe TED than others, but overall, most patients reach a point with relatively stable TED after 1 to 2 years. A recent European study showed that oral selenium, a trace mineral involved in anti-oxidation and immune regulation, could actually alter the course of mild TED, lessening its signs and symptoms and even improving the quality of life of those who took it. The investigators would like to perform a sister study throughout North America. In this randomized, double-blinded, multi-center trial, some subjects with mild TED would be given 100 micrograms of sodium selenite twice a day; others would receive a placebo. Signs, symptoms, and quality of life would be measured at regular intervals throughout the 6 month period of drug administration, and for 6 months thereafter.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether sodium selenite is helpful in the treatment of mild thyroid eye disease in North America.