Thyroid eye disease / Graves’ ophthalmopathy / thyroid-associated orbitopathy

Thyroid eye disease (TED), also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or thyroid-associated orbitopathy, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the muscles and tissues around the eyes. It is most commonly associated with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that leads to hyperthyroidism, but can also occur in individuals with normal thyroid function or hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. TED causes inflammation, swelling, and tissue remodeling in the orbit, leading to symptoms that can range from mild irritation to severe vision impairment.

Eye bulging (proptosis), redness, swelling, dryness, excessive tearing, light sensitivity, double vision (diplopia), eyelid retraction, eye pain or discomfort, and in severe cases, vision loss due to optic nerve compression.

Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, myasthenia gravis, and other autoimmune disorders.

TED is strongly linked to autoimmune thyroid diseases, particularly Graves’ disease, which affects approximately 1 in 200 people. Around 25-50% of individuals with Graves’ disease develop some degree of TED. Risk factors include smoking (which significantly increases severity), female sex, middle age, genetic predisposition, and poorly controlled thyroid function. While TED is more common in individuals with hyperthyroidism, it can also occur in euthyroid or hypothyroid individuals.

• Long-term Impact of Thyroid Eye Disease on Quality of Life: Insights from a Retrospective Cohort Study (2025)
• Role of biomarkers in South Indian Thyroid Eye Disease study (SITED) (2025)
• Thyroid autoantibodies in paediatric thyroid eye disease patients in an Australian population (2025)
• Future Projections in Thyroid Eye Disease (2022)
• Understanding Pathogenesis Intersects With Effective Treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease (2022)