Graves Disease
Presentation :
- Presents with classic Hyperthyroidism symptoms
- Thyroid is diffusely enlarged w/ firm, smooth texture on examination
- May have a bruit
- Graves ophthalmopathy w/ proptosis, periorbital edema, chemosis (conjunctival edema), diplopia (due to oculomotor paresis), and vision loss
- In iodine-sufficient geographic areas, this disease causes 80% of the cases of hyperthyroidism
Pathophysiology :
Diagnostic Testing:
Treatment :
- Antithyroid drugs (often first line; methimazole typically prefered), radioiodine, or surgery (see Hyperthyroidism#Treatment).
- There is no consensus as to the "best" treatment, each has pros/cons
- Graves ophthalmopathy DOES NOT respond to the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Severe cases may require glucocorticoids, surgery, or teprotumumab, a human monoclonal antibody inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor.
Prognosis:
References:
Created on: Friday 08-11-2023