Endocrine & metabolic · UKMLA & AKT
Graves disease (including thyroid eye disease)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- Hyperthyroidism features: weight loss, heat intolerance, sweating, palpitations/tachycardia, anxiety, tremor, diarrhoea, proximal myopathy
- Diffuse smooth goitre - may have audible bruit
- Extrathyroidal features unique to Graves (not other causes of hyperthyroidism):
- Exophthalmos/proptosis - most specific distinguishing feature from other causes
- Pretibial myxoedema - non-pitting indurated plaques over shins
- Thyroid acropachy - rare but pathognomonic
Exophthalmos is the single feature most strongly distinguishing Graves from all other causes of hyperthyroidism. Goitre and anti-TPO antibodies are non-specific (both occur in Hashimoto's).
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