Epicanthus and epiblepharon

Abstract

There are four recognized types of epicanthus: epicanthus supraciliaris, epicanthus palpebralis, epicanthus tarsalis, and epicanthus inversus. Epiblepharon is a congenital anomaly that may appear in upper or lower eyelids. In the lower lids it tends to regress spontaneously and must be differentiated from congenital entropion, because treatment of the two conditions is not the same. Epiblepharon is considered herein with epicanthus because of similarity in treatment, especially in the case of epicanthus tarsalis. Epiblepharon of the upper eyelids may be considered to be essentially an exaggeration of epicanthus tarsalis. Epicanthus tarsalis and epiblepharon of the upper eyelids are treated by making a new fold in the upper lid and performing a V-Y plasty at the inner canthus. Epiblepharon of the lower lid is similarly treated if it does not spontaneously regress.