Endocrine & metabolic · UKMLA & AKT
Graves' disease
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise graves' disease — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Most common cause of hyperthyroidism - accounts for 75-80% of cases
- Affects women 6-10x more than men; peak onset 30-40 years
- Mechanism: IgG autoantibodies (TRAb/TSI) act as persistent TSH receptor agonists → unchecked T3/T4 synthesis → suppressed TSH
- TSH receptors also expressed on orbital and dermal fibroblasts → TRAb binding causes GAG deposition → extrathyroidal features unique to Graves'
Around 30% of patients with Graves' disease have eye disease - absence of eye signs does NOT exclude the diagnosis.
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