Association of Involutional Lower Eyelid Entropion with Reduced Upper Eyelid Position Relative to the Corneal Light Reflex

Paul O Phelps, Edward J Wladis, Dale R Meyer

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. 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. 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. 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.