Graves ophthalmopathy developed years after thyroidectomy following repeat radioactive iodine treatment
Development of Graves orbitopathy after thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer.
Maria Hormiz … Lik Hui Lau
JCEM case reports · 2026
Results
elevated thyroid antibody found - signals the immune attack behind her eye disease
Patient TSH receptor a
10.1IU/L
Reference range upper
1.8IU/L
More results
We present a case of a 76-year-old female with a history of papillary thyroid cancer treated with a total thyroidectomy, central neck dissection, and radioactive iodine (radioactive iodine) in 2006.
Sixteen years later, she was found to have lung metastases and underwent a treatment dose of radioactive iodine.
More results
Given no improvement in her thyroglobulin levels, she underwent a third dose of radioactive iodine.
One week following this, she presented with new ophthalmalgia, conjunctival injection, and binocular diagonal diplopia.
“
Conclusion
We highlight the possibility that an overflow of TSH-receptor antigens following radioactive iodine treatment in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer can lead to the formation of TSH-receptor antibodies, presenting as Graves ophthalmopathy many years following total thyroidectomy.