Association of Involutional Lower Eyelid Entropion with Reduced Upper Eyelid Position Relative to the Corneal Light Reflex: Quantification of Facial Asymmetry.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between upper eyelid position relative to the corneal light reflex (MRD1) and to delineate an association between eyelid height and involutional lower eyelid entropion.

METHODS: Retrospective study of patients presenting for entropion repair to an academic ophthalmic plastic surgery service. A total of 111 patients were included in the study; 95 had unilateral involutional lower eyelid entropion, and 16 had bilateral lower eyelid entropion. Patients with a history of previous eyelid surgery, trauma, upper eyelid entropion, or cicatricial changes were excluded from the study.

RESULTS: Of the 95 patients with unilateral involutional lower eyelid entropion, 45 (47.4%) had a lesser MRD1 on the side ipsilateral to the involutional lower eyelid entropion. In this unilateral group, the mean MRD1 (± standard deviation) on the ipsilateral to the involutional lower eyelid entropion was 2.9 (±1.2) mm, while the mean MRD1 on the contralateral side was 3.3 (±1.0) mm. This difference was 0.4 mm and was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Most patients with unilateral involutional entropion demonstrated a right-sided involutional lower eyelid entropion (56 of 95; 58.9%), although this finding was not statistically significant (p = 0.083). The frequency of true blepharoptosis (MRD1 ≤ 2.0 mm) was 24 of 95 (25.3%) in the unilateral involutional entropion group and was even higher in the bilateral involutional lower eyelid entropion group, with 7 of 16 (43.8%) patients exhibiting bilateral blepharoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting with involutional lower eyelid entropion tend to have a relatively reduced MRD1 on the ipsilateral (affected) side. When both lower eyelids are affected by involutional entropion, the reduced MRD1 tends to be more pronounced.