Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between eyelid position and levator function in patients with involutional blepharoptosis. Methods: The medical records of 136 randomly selected patients (53M, 83F; mean age 67 years, range 18 to 89 years) treated for involutional blepharoptosis were reviewed for margin–reflex–distance (MRD) and levator function (LF). In patients with unilateral ptosis the involved eye was included and in patients with bilateral ptosis the right eye only was included. The mean LF was determined and compared for patients with severe (MRD < 0 mm) and mild (MRD > 2 mm) ptosis using the two–sample t–test. Pearson’s coefficient was used to further analyze the correlation; patients with all degrees of blepharoptosis were included. Results: The mean LF was significantly different between patients with severe (n=31) and mild (n=34) blepharoptosis (14 + 0.97 mm vs. 16 + 0.31 mm, p<0.001). There was a direct relationship with an average change in LF of 0.5 mm per 1 mm change in MRD (r=0.39). Conclusions: Although largely preserved in patients with involutional blepharoptosis, a mild decrease in LF occurs, which is proportional to ptosis severity.
Keywords: eyelid • aging • comparative anatomy