This disease is named after the Irish doctor Robert James Graves who was the first to describe a condition involving the symptoms mentioned above. These symptoms are caused by an overproduction of triiodothyronine and thyroxine (T3 and T4) in the thyroid gland - or by overproduction of compounds with similar effects.
The thyroid gland is located in the anterior part of the throat in front of the trachea and only weighs about 20 - 25 g. The symptoms described in the introduction can be seen in connection with a number of different metabolic conditions and diseases; except for the characteristic protrution of the eyes which is diagnostic of Graves' disease.
Similar symptoms were seen in a family in the USA who unknowingly had consumed a meal containing minced meat, mixed with thyroid gland tissue that had not been adequately separated from the meat during the preparation in the abattoir.
Graves' disease is considered to be a heritable disease affecting women 8 times more frequently than men. The disease is also considered to be a so-called autoimmune disease; a condition in which the immune system attacks the cells of its own body. In this case, the immune system attacks parts of the hormonal system, and the result is that increased amounts of the hormones of the thyroid gland enter into the bloodstream.
Goitre (struma) describes a condition of pronounced enlargement of the thyroid gland. Goitre is also characteristic of Graves' disease and is also seen in case of iodine deficiency.
