von Graefe's sign
von Grae·fe's sign
noun \vän-ˈgrā-fəz-\Definition of VON GRAEFE'S SIGN
: the failure of the upper eyelid to follow promptly and smoothly the downward movement of the eyeball that is seen in Graves' disease
Biographical Note for VON GRAEFE'S SIGN
von Grae·fe \fȯn-ˈgre-fə\ , Albrecht Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst (1828–1870), German ophthalmologist. Von Graefe is generally regarded as the founder of modern ophthalmology. In 1850 he founded what was to become one of Europe's leading eye clinics. He described von Graefe's sign for Graves' disease in 1864. His comprehensive seven-volume manual of ophthalmology was published posthumously (1874–1880).
