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 Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

, indicating exophthalmic

goiter A goitre, or goiter, is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are caused by iodine deficiency. The term is ...

(

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 Lid lag is the static situation in which the upper eyelid is higher than normal with the globe in downgaze. It is most often a sign of thyroid eye disease Graves’ ophthalmopathy, also known as thyroid eye disease (TED), is an autoimmune infla ...

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 of ...

(III) into the elevator of the upper lid.Definition: pseudo-Graefe sign from Online Medical Dictionary
/ref> It occurs in

paramyotonia congenita Paramyotonia congenita (PC) is a rare congenital autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder characterized by "paradoxical" myotonia. This type of myotonia has been termed paradoxical because it becomes worse with exercise whereas classical myotonia, ...

. 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