[Managing Graves' orbitopathy]

Inflammatory orbitopathy is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease and is characterised by a lymphocyte infiltration into the peribulbar space. Interdisciplinary management is recommended for rapid diagnosis and effective therapy of patients with thyroid orbitopathy. Immunosuppressive treatment is often used initially, and by suppressing inflammatory changes, it may result in both subjective and objective improvement. On the long run, though, decompression surgery is actually regarded as the most effective treatment of thyroid eye disease.