Graves' Disease

Diagnosis

Graves' disease is diagnosed by a physical exam and confirmed with laboratory tests. Other factors that help doctors diagnose Graves' disease include a family history of: thyroid problems, premature gray hair, painless white patches on the skin known as vitiligo - or other immune problems such as juvenile diabetes or pernicious anemia.

Physical exam. Doctors assess a patient's symptoms and family history. They examine the thyroid gland, looking for enlargement - and the eyes to see if they're irritated or protruding. Because Graves' disease often increases the metabolism, exams include testing a patient's pulse and blood pressure.

Blood tests. Doctors use blood tests to determine if the thyroid functions normally, measuring levels of: thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroixine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T4). In some cases they use a blood test to measure thyroid antibodies.

Radioactive iodine uptake. This non-blood test measures the rate at which the thyroid absorbs iodine. If too much is absorbed, the body is producing too much thyroxine, which indicates Graves' disease.

Imaging tests. If a Graves' disease patient has eye problems, they may undergo an Orbit CT scan, a procedure that uses computer tomography to examine the eyes and eye sockets. A contrast dye is injected before the test.