# When patients present with bulging eyes: A case series of proptosis

## TL;DR

This paper presents three cases of bulging eyes seen in a primary care clinic and highlights the importance of identifying the underlying causes for proper treatment.

## Contribution

The study contributes a case series illustrating diverse causes of proptosis and emphasizes the need for thorough evaluation in primary care.

## Key findings

- Three distinct cases of proptosis were identified, including cavernous haemangioma, pseudoproptosis, and thyroid eye disease.
- Detailed history-taking and radiological imaging were essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
- Proptosis can have multiple underlying causes, requiring careful assessment to prevent vision-threatening complications.

## Abstract

Proptosis, commonly referred to as ‘bulging eyes’, is characterised by abnormal protrusion of the eyeball. This condition can arise from a variety of underlying causes, including thyroid eye disease, orbital tumours, inflammatory disorders and vascular anomalies. Timely recognition of proptosis and the underlying cause is crucial due to potentially vision-threatening conditions. We present a case series of patients who presented with proptosis and proptosis-like condition in a primary care clinic. All cases exhibited bulging of the eyes with protrusion beyond 21 mm from the orbital rim. The first case involved proptosis due to cavernous haemangioma; the second was a case of pseudoproptosis; and the final case was Oue so underlying thyroid eye disease. A comprehensive evaluation, including detailed historn-taVing and radiological imaging, was essential in identifying the specific causes of proptosis for each case, thus allowing for appropriate management strategies to be implemented.