Graves’ Disease

Abstract

Orbital Graves’ disease is an inflammatory disease of the orbital tissues associated with an immune thyroiditis, most often with hyperthyroidism of the Basedow type, less commonly with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It is the most common orbital disease in adults. Orbital signs and symptoms usually occur simultaneously with the thyroid disorder, but sometimes months or even years earlier or later. The relationship between the thyroid and the orbital disease has not yet been fully investigated. Thyroid hormone secretion does not seem to be a decisive factor in the course of Graves’ disease. Changes in the course of this disease, either worsening or improvement, following therapy with radioactive iodine or near-total thyroidectomy are considered to indicate that released thyroid antigens shift the antigen-antibody ratio.