Risk factors of progressive and severe thyroid-associated orbitopathy are:

- Age greater than 50 years

- Rapid onset of symptoms under 3 months

- Cigarette smoking

- Diabetes

- Severe or uncontrolled hyperthyroidism

- Presence of pretibial myxedema

- High cholesterol levels (hyperlipidemia)

- Peripheral vascular disease

Most patients will fully recover from dacryoadenitis. For conditions with more serious causes, such as sarcoidosis, the prognosis is that of the underlying condition.

A pinguecula is one of the differential diagnoses for a limbal nodule. It may have an increased prevalence in Gaucher's disease.

In 80% of cases, the parotid gland is affected. Lacrimal glands are also affected.

Salivary gland aplasia (also termed salivary gland agenesis) is the congenital absence of salivary glands. Usually the term relates to the absence of some or all of the major salivary glands.

It is a rare condition, and most known cases have been in association with syndromes of the ectodermal tissues, particularly the lacrimal apparatus. Example syndromes which have been reported with salivary gland aplasia include hereditary ectodermal dysplasia, mandibulofacial dysostosis and hemifacial microsomia.

The main significance of the condition is a lack of saliva, causing xerostomia (dry mouth), with accompanying susceptibility to dental caries (tooth decay), infections of the mouth, and upper respiratory tract infections (e.g., candidiasis, ascending sialadenitis, laryngitis and pharyngitis). Patients with salivary gland aplasia typically require regular application of topical fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

Benign lymphoepithelial lesion is a type of benign enlargement of the parotid and/or lacrimal glands. This pathologic state is sometimes, but not always, associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Mumps can be prevented by immunization. Gonococcus, bacteria can be avoided by the use of condoms. Most other causes cannot be prevented.

The exact cause is unknown, but it is associated with excessive exposure to wind, sunlight, or sand. Therefore, it is more likely to occur in populations that inhabit the areas near the equator, as well as windy locations. In addition, pterygia are twice as likely to occur in men than women.

IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) is the recommended term to describe orbital (eye socket) manifestations of the systemic condition IgG4-related disease, which is characterised by infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells and subsequent fibrosis in involved structures. It can involve one or more of the orbital structures.

Frequently involved structures include the lacrimal glands, extraocular muscles, infraorbital nerve, supraorbital nerve and eyelids. It has also been speculated that ligneous conjunctivitis may be a manifestation of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD).

As is the case with other manifestations of IgG4-related disease, a prompt response to steroid therapy is a characteristic feature of IgG4-ROD in most cases, unless significant fibrosis has already occurred.

As it is associated with excessive sun or wind exposure, wearing protective sunglasses with side shields and/or wide brimmed hats and using artificial tears throughout the day may help prevent their formation or stop further growth. Surfers and other water-sport athletes should wear eye protection that blocks 100% of the UV rays from the water, as is often used by snow-sport athletes. Many of those who are at greatest risk of pterygium from work or play sun exposure do not understand the importance of protection.

The pathology mostly affects persons of 30 to 50 years of age. Females are four times more likely to develop TAO than males. When males are affected, they tend to have a later onset and a poor prognosis. A study demonstrated that at the time of diagnosis, 90% of the patients with clinical orbitopathy were hyperthyroid according to thyroid function tests, while 3% had Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 1% were hypothyroid and 6% did not have any thyroid function tests abnormality. Of patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism, 20 to 25 percent have clinically obvious Graves' ophthalmopathy, while only 3–5% will develop severe ophthalmopathy.

Symptoms, if any, can be mild even in the presence of significant swelling or masses.

Lacrimal gland involvement may cause swelling of the upper eyelid, or proptosis if there is severe swelling. Other orbital masses or inflammation can result in visual disturbance (blurred vision, double vision, visual field impairment), restricted eye movements, pain or discomfort, numbness in the distribution of the supraorbital and/or infraorbital nerves, or proptosis.

IgG4-related ophthalmic disease has been estimated to account for approximately 25% of all cases of proptosis, eyelid swelling and other features of orbital swelling.

Chronic conjunctivitis (e.g. trachoma) and aging factor are two causes of conjunctival concretion, which will make the conjunctiva cellular degeneration to produce an epithelial inclusion cyst, filled with epithelial cells and keratin debris. After calcification, the conjunctival cyst hardens and forms a conjunctival concretion. Congenital conjunctival concretion condition is also more common.

A pinguecula is a common type of conjunctival degeneration in the eye.

About 60 percent of initial attacks of dacryocystitis will recur. Individuals with a poorly functioning immune system (immunocompromised) may develop orbital cellulitis, which may lead to optic neuritis, proptosis, motility abnormalities, or blindness.

Conjunctival concretions can be single, also multiple, less confluent. There is no difference between the site of the occurrence on the upper and lower eyelid, nor right or left eye. The vast majority of concretions are in the conjunctival surface rather than deep. There is no difference in age for predilection or incidence of concretions, due to the causes of conjunctivitis, aging, and even congenital factor.

IOI or orbital pseudotumor is the second most common cause of exophthalmos following Grave’s orbitopathy and the third most common orbital disorder following thyroid orbitopathy and lymphoproliferative disease accounting for 5–17.6% of orbital disorders, There is no age, sex, or race predilection, but it is most frequently seen in middle-aged individuals. Pediatric cases account for about 17% of all cases of IOI.

The exact cause of IOI is unknown, but infectious and immune-mediated mechanisms have been proposed. Several studies have described cases where onset of orbital pseudotumor was seen simultaneously or several weeks after upper respiratory infections. Another study by Wirostko et al. proposes that organisms resembling Mollicutes cause orbital inflammation by destroying the cytoplasmic organelles of parasitized cells.

Orbital pseudotumor has also been observed in association with Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, myasthenia gravis, and ankylosing spondylitis all of which strengthen the basis of IOI being an immune-mediated disease. Response to corticosteroid treatment and immunosuppressive agents also support this idea.

Trauma has also been seen to precede some cases of orbital pseudotumor. However, one study by Mottow-Lippe, Jakobiec, and Smith suggests that the release of circulating antigens caused by local vascular permeability triggers an inflammatory cascade in the affected tissues.

Although these mechanisms have been postulated as possible causes of IOI, their exact nature and relationships to the condition still remain unclear.

Several aetiologies are suggested, and any combination of these may be present in any given case.

- Vitamin deficiency (A, B or C)

- Viral infection

- Bacterial infection

- "Leptospira

- "Streptococcus

- "Brucella

- Parasitic infection

- Strongyle

- "Onchocerca cervicalis"

- Autoimmune disease

The disease has been suggested to be primarily autoimmune in nature, being a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to any of the above agents.

A variety of causes may lead to dacrocystitis. Most notably, obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct leads to stasis of the nasolacrimal fluid, which predisposes to infection. Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterial pathogen causing infectious dacrocystitis. Sometimes, especially in women, stones may develop in the lacrimal gland, causing recurrent bouts of dacrocystitis; this condition is called "acute dacryocystic retention syndrome."

Also due to pneumococcus, infection due to surrounding structure such as paranasal sinuses.

Conjunctival suffusion is an eye finding occurring early in Weil’s disease, which is caused by "Leptospira interrogans". Conjunctival suffusion is characterized by redness of the conjunctiva that resembles conjunctivitis, but it does not involve inflammatory exudates. Swelling of the conjunctiva (chemosis) is seen along the corners of the eye (palpebral fissures).

About 30 percent of patients with Weil's disease develop conjunctival suffusion. When it does occur, it develops towards the end of the early phase of the illness. Even in severe cases, the suffusion occurs in the first phase of the illness.

Conjunctival suffusion may also occur in patients with a Hantavirus infection. In a 1994 study of 17 patients with Hantavirus infections, 3 had conjunctival suffusion.

The Appaloosa has a higher risk of developing ERU than other breeds; this predisposition has a genetic basis. Appaloosas which develop ERU are more likely than other breeds to have ERU in both eyes, and more likely to become blind in one or both eyes.

Many environmental conditions have also been known to cause anophthalmia. The strongest support for environmental causes has been studies where children have had gestational-acquired infections. These infections are typically viral. A few known pathogens that can cause anophthalmia are Toxoplasma, rubella, and certain strains of the influenza virus. Other known environmental conditions that have led to anophthalmia are maternal vitamin A deficiency, exposure to X-rays during gestation, solvent abuse, and exposure to thalidomide.

An imperforate lacrimal punctum is a congenital disorder of dogs involving the lack of an opening to the nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) in the conjunctiva. Dogs normally have two lacrimal puncta, the superior and inferior. This condition can affect either or both. Symptoms include excessive tearing and tear staining of the hair around the eye. Affected breeds include the American Cocker Spaniel, Bedlington Terrier, Golden Retriever, Poodle, and Samoyed. Imperforate lacrimal puncta can be corrected by surgical opening of the punctum.

The cornea, an avascular tissue, is among the most densely innervated structures of the human body. Corneal nerves are responsible for maintaining the anatomical and functional integrity of the cornea, conveying tactile, temperature and pain sensations, playing a role in the blink reflex, in wound healing and in the production and secretion of tears.

Most corneal nerve fibres are sensory in origin and are derived from the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. Congenital or acquired ocular and systemic diseases can determine a lesion at different levels of the trigeminal nerve, which can lead to a reduction (hypoesthesia) or loss (anesthesia) of sensitivity of the cornea.

The most common causes of loss of corneal sensitivity are viral infections (herpes simplex and herpes zoster ophthalmicus), chemical burns, physical injuries, corneal surgery, neurosurgery, chronic use of topical medications, or chronic use of contact lenses.

Possible causes also include systemic diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis or leprosy.

Other, albeit less frequent, potential causes of the disease are: intracranial space-occupying lesions such as neuroma, meningioma and aneurysms, which may compress the trigeminal nerve and reduce corneal sensitivity.

Conversely, congenital conditions that may lead to this disorder are very rare.