A new physical finding in floppy eyelid syndrome

Abstract

Objective: The authors noted that many of their patients with the floppy eyelid syndrome had a unique finding of eyelash ptosis and lashes that curled in many directions. The purpose of this study was to determine how many of these patients had this physical finding.

Design: Case series.

Participants: The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts and photographs of eight consecutive patients with the floppy eyelid syndrome. They also examined four new patients with floppy eyelid syndrome.

Intervention: Surgical tightening of 13 upper lids was performed in 9 patients.

Main outcome measures: Relief of symptoms and normalization of eyelash position.

Results: All of the 12 consecutive patients with floppy eyelid syndrome demonstrated eyelash ptosis with loss of eyelash parallelism. All patients treated with surgical shortening of the affected eyelid were asymptomatic at follow-up.

Conclusions: The authors have identified a new physical finding in the floppy eyelid syndrome: eyelash ptosis with loss of eyelash parallelism. The authors believe that this new physical finding is characteristic of the floppy eyelid syndrome, and will aid in the timely diagnosis and treatment of this sometimes obscure syndrome.