Blepharochalasis

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC

Blepharochalasis is an condition characterized by excessive eyelid skin associated with a disease that causes the skin to stretch.

Pathophysiology

• Blepharochalasis is a type of inflammation of the eyelid that is characterized by exacerbations and remissions of eyelid edema.
• These repeated episodes in turn results in a stretching and subsequent atrophy of the eyelid tissue.
• This leads to the formation of redundant folds over the lid margins.
• Damage to the levator palpebrae superioris muscle causes ptosis, or drooping of the eyelid, when the muscle can no longer hold the eyelid up.

Eye lids affected

It typically affects only the upper eyelids, and may be unilateral as well as bilateral.

Signs and symptoms

Complications

Complications of blepharochalasis may include conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, entropion, ectropion, and ptosis.

Causes

Blepharochalasis is idiopathic in most cases, i.e., the cause is unknown.

Associated conditions

Systemic conditions linked to blepharochalasis are renal agenesis, vertebral abnormalities, and congenital heart disease.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is through history, and physical examination. On physical examination, there are many typical findings such as:

• Proptosis
• Pigmentary skin changes
• Entropion and or ectropion
• Subcutaneous telangectasia
• Severe eyelid skin thinning
• Prolopase of fat or even lacrimal gland prolapse
• "Cigarette paper" appearance with finely wrinkled skin
• Lax eyelid skin which may lead to some obstruction of vision

Differential diagnosis

Dermatochalasis is sometimes confused with blepharochalasis, but these are two different conditions.

Treatment

The following procedures have been described for blepharochalasis:

• External levator aponeurosis tuck
• Blepharoplasty
• Lateral canthoplasty
• Dermis fat grafts

These are used to correct atrophic blepharochalasis after the syndrome has run its course.

Epidemiology

It is encountered more commonly in younger rather than older individuals.

External links

• Eye wiki entry on blepharchalasis

Blepharochalasis Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia