This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Ectropion of the eyelid

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is sagging and eversion of the lower eyelid.

The most common cause is old age. Senile ectropion is frequently bilateral and results from a natural loss of muscle tone and orbital fat.

Cicatricial ectropion results from scarring of the skin, for example following trauma, especially burns, or irradiation for a rodent ulcer affecting the eyelids.

Less commonly, a paralytic ectropion results from a facial nerve palsy resulting in a flaccid orbicularis oris muscle.

Presentation is with epiphora and irritation. Tears overflow as a result of disturbance to drainage through the lower punctum which requires close apposition to the globe. Irritation results from the constant flow of tears over the lower lid. Infection of the exposed conjunctivitis may produce keratitis.

Treatment is with control of any secondary infection and surgical correction of the underlying structural deformity.


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page