Man’s eye bulge misdiagnosed as thyroid issue; doctors remove grape-sized tumour

New Delhi: A mild ache and a slow forward bulge in the eye of a 33-year-old man, initially mistaken for a thyroid-related problem, turned out to be a grape-sized tumour inside his eye socket.

"When a patient presents with a bulging eye, thyroid disease is usually the first possibility we evaluate. But as the symptoms progressed, it became clear that something deeper was happening," Dr Rituraj Baruah, of Max Multi Speciality Centre, Panchsheel Park, said.

The hospital said the patient first sought treatment after experiencing unilateral proptosis, a condition in which only one eye protrudes. Mildly elevated TSH levels led to his symptoms being attributed to thyroid-associated eye disease.

Dr Baruah said the severity of the eye’s forward displacement and subtle visual changes prompted further investigation.

Advanced imaging revealed a 2.5 x 2.0 x 1.5 cm tumour sitting behind the eyeball and pressing against the optic nerve, the cause of his growing discomfort.

"The tumour was pushing the eyeball outward and stretching the optic nerve. Without timely treatment, his vision could have been permanently affected," he added.

Dr Baruah said, he and his team performed the surgery.

Doctors said the case underscores the importance of specialised evaluation when symptoms persist despite initial treatment.