[The role of adipose tissue in the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of Graves' orbitopathy].

Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is a inflammatory disease of connective tissue with autoimmune background considered as extrathyroidal component of the Graves' disease. Despite a progress in understanding of some elements of the pathogenesis it still remains one of the most complex topics of clinical endocrinology. Clinical symptoms of the orbitopathy derive from the discrepancy between limited space of the orbit and expansion of pathologically affected orbital tissues. In present paper the current state of knowledge concerning the role of orbital adipose tissue in a multifaceted manifestation of the disease as well as its importance in the immune and inflammatory reaction have been reviewed. The role of the major orbital auto antigens (TSHR and IGF1R) as well as hypotheses concerning the putative link connecting pathology of thyroid gland and orbital tissues were discussed.