Final answer:
Exophthalmos, or exophthalmia, is a characteristic symptom of hyperthyroidism, specifically associated with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exophthalmos, also known as exophthalmia or Graves ophthalmopathy, is a sign of hyperthyroidism, particularly of the auto-immune condition known as Graves' disease. This condition is characterized by the bulging of the eyeballs out of the face, due to inflammation and other immune-related processes affecting the tissues behind the eyes. Graves' disease leads to an overactive thyroid, causing symptoms such as rapid and irregular heartbeat, heat intolerance, weight loss, and goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. In contrast, pancreatitis typically presents with jaundice, cholelithiasis, or gallstones, does not involve exophthalmos, and emphysema is a lung condition that also would not present with exophthalmos as a symptom.