Ptosis is drooping of the upper eyelid that can partially cover the pupil. It may be present from birth or acquired later in life.
Causes and symptoms
Severity ranges from mild cosmetic concern to significant visual obstruction.
- Aponeurotic ptosis from age-related muscle tendon stretching
- Neurogenic, myogenic, traumatic, or mechanical causes
- Head-tilting, brow elevation, or eye strain to compensate
- Risk of amblyopia in children if the pupil is obscured
Treatment
Management depends on cause, lid height, and levator function.
- Observation in mild, non-progressive cases
- Surgical tightening or reattachment of the levator or frontalis suspension
- Treatment of underlying neurological or muscular disease where possible
- Regular monitoring of visual development in paediatric ptosis
