ABSTRACT
Computed tomography (CT) is an important tool in the evaluation and management of thyroid eye disease (TED). The technique for CT scanning was originated by Sir Godfrey Hounsfield at Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI) in England and led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1979 (1,2). Originally known as EMI scans, early CT scanners of the 1970s were limited in their ability to evaluate the orbits. Scanners available today have a higher degree of spatial resolution and generate less artifact, allowing for both greater accuracy and consistency in the diagnosis of orbital lesions. Technical advances, such as the advent of the helical CT scanner, have allowed thinner tissue sections and reformatted images of vastly improved quality, most notably threedimensional views of the orbit that can be used to assess volume and to plan surgical decompression of thyroid patients (3,4).
