Advancements and challenges of ultrasound imaging in the management of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), an autoimmune disorder closely associated with thyroid dysfunction, requires timely diagnosis and ongoing accurate evaluation to improve patient outcomes. With the global incidence of TAO increasing and significantly affecting the quality of life of patients, there is an urgent need for effective diagnostic tools. As a noninvasive imaging technique, ultrasound plays a pivotal role in diagnosing and managing TAO, particularly in the early detection of and monitoring of disease progression. Despite its advantages, ultrasound faces challenges such as limited resolution for deep orbital structures and a lack of standardized protocols, which can lead to diagnostic inaccuracies. This paper reviews the current status of ultrasound applications in TAO, including diagnostic utility, recent technological advances, and key challenges. It proposes strategies for future research and improvement, emphasizing analysis of ultrasound imaging data to develop biomarker stratification models. We propose an integrated multimodal framework that combines ultrasound elastography with deep learning to improve diagnostic precision.