Tocilizumab as a Useful Tool for Thyroid Eye Disease in Pediatric Population: A Case Report

Abstract

Thyroid eye disease (TED) characterizes by inflammation and remodeling of orbital tissues. Although the majority of pediatric TED is mild, some children present progressive and severe disease. The approach to severe disease in this group of patients, especially when noncortico-responsive, is challenging. The purpose of this work was to describe the effective use of tocilizumab as second-line therapy in steroid-resistant pediatric TED. A 13-year-old female with a history of Graves’ disease presented with right eye proptosis for at least 8 months associated with mild pain on eye movements and ocular surface complaints. The ophthalmologic evaluation revealed Hertel exophthalmometry readings of 22 mm on the right eye (OD) and 19 mm on the left (OS). The remaining ophthalmic examination was unremarkable. Intravenous methylprednisolone pulses of 500 mg were initiated without any improvement after 4 treatments. Following multidisciplinary team discussion, therapy was switched to monthly tocilizumab injections at 4 mg/kg. Significant reduction of proptosis and resolution of pain and ocular surface complaints were noted immediately after the treatment switch. Exophthalmometry readings after the end of treatment that included 4 tocilizumab injections were 20 mm on OD and 19 mm on OS. No side effects were reported during the entire follow-up. Six months after treatment cessation, the patient remains stable, without any signs of orbitopathy relapse and no ophthalmologic complaints. This is the second case report showing the effectiveness of tocilizumab in pediatric TED and the first one showing its efficacy when steroids fail. Our results support the potential safety and efficacy of this immunosuppressor in children with TED.

Efficiency and Safety of Tocilizumab for the Treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease: A Systematic Review

“…44,47 The total number of patients in all studies was 208. Fifteen reports originated from European centers, 27,30,31,34,36,45,46,48,[50][51][52][53][54][55] 6 studies were conducted in the United States, 28,29,32,39,56,57 2 in Colombia, 35,58 2 in the United Arab Emirates, 38,59 and 1 in Mexico. 33 There were 2 multicentric reports.…”

The management of pediatric Graves’ disease

“…Alternative medical treatments that have been brought up as possible future options but still need further study include highly selective thyrotropin receptor antagonists, monoclonal antibodies such as tocilizumab (interleukin-6 directed monoclonal antibody) and immunomodulators [21,23]. Rituximab is under investigation as a potential treatment option for orbitopathy, but there are no formal studies as of yet conducted on this medication in children with GO.…”