Re: just FYI as suggested by Terry - here is the reference

[Guest guest]

Here is a report abstract from mayo clinic. Mayo clinic is

considered as gold standard in most of clinical area. Hope it will

give you some information.

Liang

Mayo Clin Proc. 1983 Aug;58(8):515-9. Related Articles, Links

Temporal relationship between onset of Graves' ophthalmopathy and

diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis.

Gorman CA.

During preoperative examination of 194 patients scheduled for

orbital decompression for Graves' ophthalmopathy, it was noted that

29 had never been clinically hyperthyroid. These patients did not

differ appreciably from those who had had hyperthyroidism, in terms

of age distribution, sex ratio, presenting eye manifestations, or

rate of progression of ophthalmopathy. In 81% of the patients with

hyperthyroidism, the date of the first eye manifestations was

symmetrically distributed within 18 months before or after the time

when hyperthyroidism was diagnosed. These observations do not

support the viewpoint that radioiodine therapy or surgical

intervention initiates the ophthalmic process. The observations

focus attention on the need for etiologic theories to address the

usually close linkage between thyrotoxic and ophthalmic expressions

of Graves' disease rather than on the exceptions to a general rule.