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Practice

Floppy eyelid syndrome

Michel J. Belliveau and John T. Harvey
CMAJ February 03, 2015 187 (2) 130; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.140409
Michel J. Belliveau
Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences (Belliveau), Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Ophthalmology (Harvey), Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
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  • For correspondence: mbelliveau42@gmail.com
John T. Harvey
Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences (Belliveau), Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Ophthalmology (Harvey), Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
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A 52-year-old man presented with redness and irritation of the left eye. He had tried using artificial tear drops and gels without much benefit. On examination, the patient had redundant, wrinkled eyelid skin bilaterally with a greater amount on the affected side (Figure 1A). Ptosis of the left upper eyelid was evident, and the upper eyelashes were inverted. These lashes were in contact with the cornea, which showed chronic inflammatory changes. Diffuse, punctate epithelial defects were evident after fluorescein staining of the cornea. Slit-lamp examination showed papillary conjunctivitis. The left upper eyelid was easily distracted and everted (Figure 1B). The findings were characteristic of floppy eyelid syndrome.

Figure 1:
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Figure 1:

(A) Redundant, wrinkled eyelid skin, particularly of the left eye, in a 52-year-old man with floppy eyelid syndrome. Ptosis of the upper eyelid is evident, and the upper eyelashes are inverted. (B) Superior distraction of the upper eyelid without eversion, showing extreme laxity, folds in the usually firm tarsal plate (*) and diffuse papillary conjunctivitis involving the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva.

Floppy eyelid syndrome is observed most often in men who are obese (body mass index ≥ 30). There are no reliable prevalence data, and no other risk groups have been identified. The precise pathophysiology remains undefined, but histopathologic studies have shown depleted levels of elastin within the tarsal plate of the eyelid, in the skin of the eyelid and adjacent to the lash roots.1 There is an association with obstructive sleep apnea, which is believed to be an epiphenomenon.2 Although there is no proven causal link, it is important to screen for symptoms of sleep apnea in patients with floppy eyelid syndrome because the estimated prevalence is 21%–100%.2

Shielding the eye while sleeping can prevent eversion of the eyelid from contact with a pillow and eliminate direct abrasion. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea who use a continuous positive airway pressure device often benefit from the imposed supine sleep position, which prevents eyelid–pillow contact.

Obstructive sleep apnea was diagnosed previously in this patient, but he could not tolerate wearing a continuous positive airway pressure device while sleeping. A horizontal tightening procedure was performed on the upper and lower eyelids, which alleviated his symptoms.

Clinical images are chosen because they are particularly intriguing, classic or dramatic. Submissions of clear, appropriately labelled high-resolution images must be accompanied by a figure caption and the patient’s written consent for publication. A brief explanation (250 words maximum) of the educational significance of the images with minimal references is required.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

  • This article has been peer reviewed.

  • The authors have obtained patient consent.

References

  1. ↵
    1. Schlötzer-Schrehardt U,
    2. Stojkovic M,
    3. Hofmann-Rummelt C,
    4. et al
    . The pathogenesis of floppy eyelid syndrome: involvement of matrix metalloproteinases in elastic fiber degradation. Ophthalmology 2005;112:694–704.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  2. ↵
    1. Fowler AM,
    2. Dutton JJ
    . Floppy eyelid syndrome as a subset of lax eyelid conditions: relationships and clinical relevance. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2010;26:195–204.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 187 (2)
CMAJ
Vol. 187, Issue 2
3 Feb 2015
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Floppy eyelid syndrome
Michel J. Belliveau, John T. Harvey
CMAJ Feb 2015, 187 (2) 130; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.140409

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Floppy eyelid syndrome
Michel J. Belliveau, John T. Harvey
CMAJ Feb 2015, 187 (2) 130; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.140409
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