Extrathyroidal complications of Graves' disease

Abstract

Ophthalmopathy, pretibial myxoedema and acropachy are progressively less common features of Graves' disease with unknown but probably related aetiologies (Table 1). Treatment for affected eyes and skin is unsatisfactory and will only improve when we understand the pathogenesis of these complications and their arcane relationship with thyroid autoimmunity. This brief review will highlight recent research which suggests that fibroblast activation is critical to the appearance of ophthalmopathy and dermopathy; more general overviews can be found elsewhere.