What is Exophthalmos?
Definition When there is an increase in the volume of the tissue behind the eyes, the eyes will appear to bulge out of the face. The terms exophthalmos and proptosis apply. Proptosis can refer to any organ that is displaced forward, while exophthalmos refers just to the eyes. Description The eye socket (orbit) is made of bone and therefore will not yield to increased pressure within it. Only forward displacement of the eyeball (globe) will allow more room if tissue behind the eye is increasing. Causes and symptoms The most common cause of exophthalmos is Graves’ disease, overactivity of the thyroid gland. The contents of the orbits swell due to inflammation, forcing the eyes forward. The inflammation affects primarily the muscles. This combination of muscle impairment and forward displacement reduces eye movement, causing double vision and crossed eyes (strabismus). The optic nerves can also be affected, reducing vision, and the clear membrane (conjunctiva) covering the white part of t
Exophthalmos is a medical condition that is usually linked with some other type of illness. Exopthalmos is characterized by bulging or protruding eyeballs. In most cases, both eyeballs are affected, but in some circumstances, only one eyeball is affected. If only one eyeball is affected, the condition is called proptosis. Exophthalmos is most commonly associated with thyroid problems. The thyroid is a gland that controls the body’s metabolism. It is located in the neck and controls the rate at which the body uses its energy. Exophthalmos is also a common symptom of Grave’s disease. Grave’s disease is an auto-immune disease in which certain bodily tissues are attacked by the immune system. As a result, the thyroid gland becomes overactive. Exophthalmos occurs when tissue builds up in the eyeball socket. This causes the eyeball to be pushed forward and protrude to the front of the socket. The eyelids are then forced apart, exposing more of the eye’s white area. Patients suffering from th
• Exophthalmos: Protrusion of one or both eyes. • Exophthalmos: protrusion of one or both eyeballs; can be congenital and familial, or due to pathology, such as a retroorbital tumor (usually unilateral) or thyroid disease (usually bilateral). Source – Diseases Database • Exophthalmos: protrusion of the eyeball from the socket. Source – WordNet 2.
