The occurrence of exophthalmos in exophthalmic goiter has always been a most interesting and baffling pathologic problem to the medical profession, clinicians and experimenters alike. The importance of any condition as prevalent and as disfiguring as exophthalmos is apparent. It is hoped that a study of the mechanism of the production of ocular proptosis in the research laboratory may eventually lead to an understanding of the causation of both the exophthalmos and the other manifestations of exophthalmic goiter. At present there is no unanimity of opinion concerning the pathogenesis of the exophthalmos. Sufficient clinical and experimental evidence has been assembled to incriminate the sympathetic nervous system, the thyroid gland and the anterior lobe of the hypophysis. As the following review indicates, it is impossible to select a single local or general cause of exophthalmos at the present time.
ROLE OF ORBITAL DISEASE
Although the syndrome of exophthalmic goiter had been