Von Graefe's sign is the lagging of the upper

eyelid An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eyel ...

on downward rotation of the eye, indicating exophthalmic

goiter A goitre, American and British English spelling differences#re er, or goiter, is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid, thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Worldwide, over ...

(

Graves' disease Graves' disease (german: Morbus Basedow), also known as toxic diffuse goiter, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyr ...

).Cline D; Hofstetter HW; Griffin JR. ''Dictionary of Visual Science''. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston 1997. It is a dynamic sign, whereas lid lag is a static sign which may also be present in cicatricial eyelid retraction or congenital ptosis. A pseudo Graefe's sign (pseudo lid lag) shows a similar lag, but is due to aberrant regeneration of fibres of the

oculomotor nerve The oculomotor nerve, also known as the third cranial nerve, cranial nerve III, or simply CN III, is a cranial nerve that enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and innervates extraocular muscles that enable most movements o ...

(III) into the elevator of the upper lid.Definition: pseudo-Graefe sign from Online Medical Dictionary
/ref> It occurs in paramyotonia congenita. A pseudo Graefe's sign is most commonly manifested in just one eye but can occasionally be observed in both. The reason only one eye is affected is not yet clear.

References

Ophthalmology Symptoms and signs: Endocrinology, nutrition, and metabolism {{eye-stub

See also

References