The patient with exophthalmos asks when it will go away. The best informational statement is:

• A. It is not reversible.
• B. Can be disguised with sunglasses and makeup.
• C. Usually subsides after medication for hyperthyroidism is started.
• D. Can be minimized with plastic surgery to the eyelids.

Answer: (C)

Eye changes in Graves' disease tend to improve when the thyroid disorder is brought under control. Treating hyperthyroidism helps reduce the autoimmune-driven inflammation and edema around the orbit, so the protrusion often lessens over weeks to months after therapy is started. It’s not simply a cosmetic issue or a permanent change for most patients—the improvement happens as thyroid function stabilizes, though some residual exophthalmos can persist and may require additional eye-directed treatments. This is why the best information is that exophthalmos usually subsides after treatment for hyperthyroidism begins, rather than being permanent or solely removable by surgery or cosmetics.