Entropion

What is entropion?

Entropion is a condition in which your eyelid turns inwards, towards your eye. As a result, the eyelashes and skin rub against the eyeball, irritating the cornea (the front part of the eye).

Entropion usually affects the lower eyelid. Left untreated, it can damage the cornea and lead to loss of vision.

How common is entropion?

Entropion is more common in people over 60 years of age.

What causes entropion?

Entropion is usually caused by looseness (laxity) of the lower eyelid. Scarring can also make the lid turn inwards (cicatricial entropion). The condition is common in adults over the age of 60 because the structures supporting the eyelid weaken with age, allowing the eyelid muscles to pull the lid inwards. Other causes of an in-turned eyelid include eye injury, infection and previous eye surgery.

What are the symptoms of entropion?

Entropion can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms. As the condition develops, they may at first appear only occasionally. Signs of entropion include:

• A feeling that something is in your eye
• Red eyes
• Watering
• Blurred vision
• Eye pain
• Itching

How is entropion diagnosed?

An ophthalmologist diagnoses entropion by examining your eye. Additional tests are usually unnecessary.

What complications are associated with entropion?

It is important to treat entropion in order to avoid complications that can become permanent. Those associated with an inward-turning eyelid include:

• Eye infections
• Corneal epithelial abrasions
• Loss of vision

How is entropion treated?

Entropion can be treated in a variety of ways, both medical and surgical.

Lubricating the eye with ointment and artificial tears helps keep it moist and relieves discomfort, although this is not a long-term solution.

Tape can also be applied to reposition the eyelid temporarily.

Surgery is usually performed to correct the inward turning of the eyelid and return it to its normal position. It is generally carried out under local anaesthesia to numb the eyelid, and most people go home the same day.

Alternatively, a small amount of botulinum toxin (Botox®) can be used to weaken the eyelid muscles that may be turning the lid inwards.

Surgical procedures for the treatment of entropion include:

• Eyelid tightening: This procedure shortens the eyelid in order to tighten it.
• Retractor reinsertion: This procedure tightens the lid retractor (the muscle that opens and closes the eyelid).

What is the prognosis for people with entropion?

The prognosis is good for most people whose entropion is treated before the eye is harmed. Surgery usually resolves the problem, discomfort after the operation is uncommon, and entropion rarely returns after surgical treatment.

Similar Medical Services