Thyroid Eye Disease: Understanding Graves’ Ophthalmopathy

Graves' disease refers to a disorder affecting the immune system which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Graves' ophthalmopathy, also called Graves' orbitopathy, is an autoimmune disease affecting the retro-ocular tissues in patients having Graves' disease. It is primarily the disease of the orbit and can have severe implications, such as loss of sight. It causes swelling in the area around the eyes, which causes bulging of the eyes. The symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy include double vision, bulging eyes, swelling in the eyelids, vision loss, sensitivity to light, redness or inflammation, and difficulty in moving eyes. This disease results in increased extraocular muscle volume and orbital fat in the orbital space. The targets of autoimmune attack within Graves' ophthalmopathy are the fibroblasts residing in the orbital tissues. Radiation, immunosuppression and surgical procedures, like orbital decompression surgery, eye muscle surgery and eyelid surgery are utilized to treat severe forms of this disease. This book contains some path-breaking studies on Graves' Ophthalmopathy. It is a valuable compilation of topics, ranging from the basic to the most complex advancements in the study of this disease. The book will serve as a reference to a broad spectrum of readers.