Von Graefe's sign
Encyclopedia
Von Graefe's sign is the immobility or lagging of the upper eyelid
on downward rotation of the eye
, indicating exophthalmic
goiter
(Graves' Disease
).
A pseudo Graefe's sign (pseudo lid lag) shows a similar lag, but is due to aberrant regeneration of fibres of the oculomotor nerve
(III) into the elevator of the upper lid. It occurs in paramyotonia congenita
.
Eyelid
An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. With the exception of the prepuce and the labia minora, it has the thinnest skin of the whole body. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid to "open" the eye. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily...
on downward rotation of the eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
, indicating exophthalmic
Exophthalmos
Exophthalmos is a bulging of the eye anteriorly out of the orbit. Exophthalmos can be either bilateral or unilateral . Measurement of the degree of exophthalmos is performed using an exophthalmometer...
goiter
Goitre
A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...
(Graves' Disease
Graves' disease
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease where the thyroid is overactive, producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones...
).
A pseudo Graefe's sign (pseudo lid lag) shows a similar lag, but is due to aberrant regeneration of fibres of the oculomotor nerve
Oculomotor nerve
The oculomotor nerve is the 3rd of 12 paired cranial nerves. It enters the orbit via the superior orbital fissure and controls most of the eye's movements, including constriction of the pupil and maintaining an open eyelid by innervating the Levator palpebrae superiors muscle. The optic nerve is...
(III) into the elevator of the upper lid. It occurs in paramyotonia congenita
Paramyotonia congenita
Paramyotonia Congenita , also known as Paramyotonia congenita of von Eulenburg or Eulenburg disease, is a rare congenital autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder characterized by “paradoxical” myotonia...
.
See also
- Albrecht von GräfeAlbrecht von GräfeFriedrich Wilhelm Ernst Albrecht von Graefe was a pioneering German ophthalmologist. Graefe was born in Finkenheerd, Brandenburg, the son of Karl Ferdinand von Graefe...
- Boston's signBoston's signBoston's sign is the spasmodic lowering of the upper eyelid on downward rotation of the eye, indicating exophthalmic goiter.Similar to von Graefe's sign, it is observed in people with Graves-Basedow disease, a type of hyperthyroidism. In this disease, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and...
- Griffith's signGriffith's signGriffith's sign is a clinical sign in which there is lid lag of the lower eyelid on moving the eye upwards. It is found in Graves' ophthalmopathy....
- Graves orbitopathy
- HyperthyroidismHyperthyroidismHyperthyroidism is the term for overactive tissue within the thyroid gland causing an overproduction of thyroid hormones . Hyperthyroidism is thus a cause of thyrotoxicosis, the clinical condition of increased thyroid hormones in the blood. Hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are not synonymous...
, as lid lag may be in Hyperthyroid patient's lacking Grave's Disease