Graves’ ophthalmopathy relates to the changes that occur to the eye and orbit in the setting of Graves’ disease. Specifically, the systemic antibodies directly affect the muscles in and around the eye which lead to scarring and fibrosis. This can lead to forward displacement of the eye (proptosis), eyelid retraction, and double vision (diplopia).
In severe cases, this scarring can be so severe that vision can be permanently lost. If diagnosed with Graves’ disease, it is important to see one of our trained oculofacial plastic surgeons to determine if any of these changes have occurred to the eye.