Graves’ Dermopathy
Graves’ Dermopathy
✅ Triad Explained (Associated with Graves’ Disease)
Digital clubbing, soft tissue swelling of fingers and toes, and periosteal new bone formation.
👁️ Exophthalmos
Protrusion of the eyeballs due to inflammation and accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in orbital tissues.
🦶 Pretibial Myxedema
Localized skin thickening and swelling, usually over the anterior aspect of the lower legs, caused by mucopolysaccharide deposition.
✋ Acropachy
Digital clubbing, soft tissue swelling of fingers and toes, and periosteal new bone formation.
Graves’ Disease Triad – MCQs
1. The triad of exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema, and acropachy is characteristic of which disease?
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder causing hyperthyroidism, associated with this specific triad.
2. Exophthalmos in Graves’ disease is caused by:
Exophthalmos occurs due to autoimmune-driven inflammation and deposition of glycosaminoglycans in orbital tissues.
3. Pretibial myxedema in Graves’ disease is characterized by:
Pretibial myxedema appears as waxy, non-pitting thickening of the skin over the anterior tibia.
4. Thyroid acropachy is best described as:
Acropachy includes digital clubbing, soft tissue swelling, and periosteal new bone formation, specific to Graves’ disease.
5. The underlying mechanism of Graves’ disease involves:
Graves’ disease is caused by autoantibodies that stimulate TSH receptors, leading to thyroid hormone overproduction.
6. Which antibody is most commonly associated with Graves’ disease?
TSI is the key antibody causing stimulation of the thyroid gland in Graves’ disease.
7. Exophthalmos in Graves’ disease is primarily due to deposition of:
Exophthalmos results from GAG accumulation and inflammation in orbital tissues.
8. Pretibial myxedema in Graves’ disease is best treated with:
Topical or intralesional corticosteroids reduce inflammation and GAG deposition in pretibial myxedema.
9. Which imaging modality helps evaluate Graves’ orbitopathy?
Orbital CT or MRI helps assess extraocular muscle enlargement and tissue inflammation in Graves’ orbitopathy.
10. The most common age group affected by Graves’ disease is:
Graves’ disease commonly affects young adults aged 20–40 years.
11. In Graves’ disease, pretibial myxedema is due to:
Pretibial myxedema is caused by mucopolysaccharide accumulation in the dermis, secondary to autoimmune processes.
12. Digital clubbing in thyroid acropachy is associated with:
Thyroid acropachy is an uncommon manifestation of Graves’ disease featuring digital clubbing.
13. Graves’ orbitopathy may lead to which severe complication?
Severe exophthalmos may cause optic nerve compression, leading to vision loss.
14. The initial treatment approach for Graves’ disease includes:
Antithyroid drugs like methimazole are first-line treatments for Graves’ disease.
15. Which diagnostic test confirms Graves’ disease?
Graves’ disease shows low TSH and high free T4/free T3 on labs.
16. Graves’ dermopathy is more commonly seen in:
Pretibial myxedema is mostly seen in severe, long-standing Graves’ disease.
17. Which of the following is NOT part of the classic triad of Graves’ disease?
Goiter is common in Graves’ disease but not part of the specific triad.
18. Which clinical sign is most specific for Graves’ orbitopathy?
Exophthalmos is the hallmark and most specific sign of Graves’ orbitopathy.
19. Acropachy occurs in approximately what percentage of Graves’ disease patients?
Thyroid acropachy is rare, seen in less than 5% of Graves’ disease cases.
20. Treatment of severe Graves’ orbitopathy may include:
Severe orbitopathy is treated with corticosteroids and may require surgical orbital decompression.
