Eyelash inversion in epiblepharon: Is it caused by redundant skin?

Hirohiko Kakizaki¹, Igal Leibovitch², Yasuhiro Takahashi³, Dinesh Selva⁴

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1195, Japan; ²Division of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; ³Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; ⁴South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology and Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of redundant lower eyelid skin on the eyelash direction in epiblepharon.

Materials and methods: Asian patients with epiblepharon participated in this study. The lower eyelid skin was pulled downward in the upright position with the extent just to detach from eyelash roots, and the direction of the eyelashes was examined. These evaluations were repeated before surgery while the patients were lying supine under general anesthesia.

Results: The study included 41 lower eyelids of 25 patients (17 females, 8 males, average age; 5.6 years, 16 cases bilateral, 9 unilateral). In the upright position, without downward traction of the skin, the eyelashes were vertically positioned and touching the cornea. The redundant skin touched only the eyelash roots and had minimal contribution to eyelash inversion. With downward skin traction, there was no significant change in the eyelash direction. In the supine position, the eyelashes were touching the cornea, and there was marked redundant skin that was pushing the eyelashes inward. With downward skin traction, there was no significant change.

Conclusions: The direction of lower eyelashes in patients with epiblepharon was less influenced by lower eyelid skin redundancy than previously considered. The redundant skin is only a possible aggravating factor to epiblepharon.

Keywords: epiblepharon, skin redundancy, upright, eyelash