
What is exophthalmos?
27 April 2023
Exophthalmos is the term we use in ophthalmology to define eyes that protrude from their normal position, commonly known as "bulging eyes". Exophthalmos, although at first glance it may appear to be an "irrelevant" pathology, the truth is that it can hide potentially serious conditions, such as hyperthyroidism or a tumor near the eye.
The opposite of exophthalmos is enophthalmos, which manifests as "sunken eyes".
Exophthalmos itself does not produce eye symptoms, although it can cause double vision. Since the shape and size of everyone's eyes are not exactly the same, there are some things to consider when identifying it. Generally, it is not difficult to distinguish, because people with this disease have bulging eyeballs and are very conspicuous.
This condition occurs most commonly in women, although it also affects men, and there are a variety of diseases and conditions that can cause it. The most common pathology associated with this eye problem is hyperthyroidism, an endocrine disorder characterized by an overactive thyroid gland, which can lead to thyroid orbitopathy.
Another common cause of exophthalmos is Graves' disease, which can also eventually lead to hyperthyroidism. In addition, certain eye infections and injuries, hemangiomas (abnormal growth of blood vessels inside the eye), certain tumors and conditions such as sarcoidosis (when lymph nodes in the lungs, liver, eyes, skin... become inflamed) can cause exophthalmos to develop.
The solution to exophthalmos will depend on the underlying cause, as treatment of the underlying pathology will improve the ocular changes.
However, in many cases, despite medical treatment, exophthalmos surgery may be necessary to enlarge the bony space containing the eyeball and adjacent tissues.