Thyroid eye disease: review and case reports

Thyroid eye disease or Graves' orbitopathy is the most common orbital pathology occurring in the general population. It is usually a self-limited condition with severe disease occurring in approximately 2-7 percent of cases. Various symptoms and signs are presented along with specific medical and surgical treatment modalities. Differential diagnosis is emphasized including examination procedures. The primary eye care optometrist is well qualified to treat the symptomatology and follow patients for compressive optic neuropathy during the disease process. Three case reports are introduced to aid in enhancing the information presented.