thyroid ophthalmopathy

ophthalmopathy, thyroid 

Disease of the thyroid gland which leads to ocular manifestations. There are two main types: mild and severe. The mild type occurs in Graves' disease in which most or some of the typical signs may be present and to a different extent (e.g. retraction of the eyelids, exophthalmos, defective eye movements and optic neuropathy). The severe type is much less common and affects the sexes equally in middle age. All the signs of Graves' disease are present but are more pronounced with the addition of oedema of the eyelids and of the conjunctiva, conjunctival injection, enlargement of the extraocular muscles and in a few cases there is also optic neuropathy due to compression of the optic nerve or its blood supply with consequent visual loss, colour vision impairment and often diplopia. Syn. dysthyroid eye disease; thyroid eye disease. See accommodative insufficiency; superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis; optic neuropathy.