Medicine:Boston's sign

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Boston's sign
Differential diagnosisexophthalmic goiter

Boston's sign is the spasmodic lowering of the upper eyelid on downward rotation of the eye, indicating exophthalmic goiter.[1]

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 the soft tissues surrounding the eyes. As a result, the eyes are often pushed forward in the eye sockets, a condition known as exophthalmos.

See also

  • Graves orbitopathy

References

  1. Cline D; Hofstetter HW; Griffin JR. Dictionary of Visual Science. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston 1997. ISBN:0-7506-9895-0