Ptosis is known as the drooping of the upper eyelid, and the patient usually presents with the complaint of the defect in vision and cosmesis. It can be congenital or acquired, or it can be neurogenic, myogenic, aponeurotic, mechanical, or traumatic in origin.

1. PTOSIS
GRANDSON KELVIN JERE
LECTURER – DEPT. OF OPHTHALMOLOGY AND
OPTOMETRY

2. PTOSIS
Definition
Abnormal low position of upper lid.
May be Congenital or Acquired

3. CAUSES
1. Neurogenic
 Caused by an innervational defect e.g.
 3rd Nerve paresis.
 Horners Syndrome (oculosympathetic palsy).
2. Myogenic
 Caused by myopathy of levator muscle it self
 Impairment of impulses at neuromuscular junction(Neuromyopathic
cause).
NOTE
 Acquired myogenic Ptosis occurs in
 Myasthenia gravis
 Myotonic Dystrophy
 Progressive External Ophthamoplegia

4. CAUSES Cont”d
3. Aponeurotic
Caused by defect in levator aponeurosis.
4. Mechanical
May occur due to the following.
 Scarring.
 Gravitational effect of a mass.

5. CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PTOSIS
1. History
Age at onset of ptosis.
Duration of ptosis
If history is not clear, check old photos.
Ask about symptoms of possible underlying
systemic disease e.g.
 Associated diplopia.
 Variability of Ptosis during the day and in
presence of excessive fatigue.

6. PSEUDO PTOSIS
 Rule out possible causes of pseudo ptosis.
a) Lack of support of the lids by the globe leads to orbital volume deficit.
Found in following conditions
 Artificial eye
 Microphthalmos
 Phthisis bulbi.
 Enophthalmos
b) Contralateral Lid Retraction
 Compare the levels of upper lid margins.
NOTE
 Normal upper lid margin covers 2mm of superior cornea
c) Ipsilateral Hypotropia
 Causes pseudoptosis because upper lid follows the globe in down gaze

7. Pseudoptosis Rt Phthisis bulbi

8. PSEUDOPTOSIS –Cont”d
d) Brow Ptosis
 Due to excessive skin on the brow or 7th nerve palsy.
e) Dermatochalasis
 Excessive skin on upper lid.

9. Pseudoptosis Contralateral lid retraction

10. Pseudoptosis - Ipsilateral Hypotropia

11. Pseudoptosis bilateral brow ptosis

12. PTOSIS MEASUREMENTS
1 Margin-Reflex distance (MRD)
 Distance between the upper lid margin and corneal reflection
of pen torch held by examiner.
Normal 4-4.5mm
2. Palpebral Fissure Height
 Distance between upper and lower lid margins.
Normal Males 7-10mm
Females 8-12mm
Ptosis Grade
2mm-mild 3mm-moderate 4mm-severe

13. Margin reflex distance

14. Palpebral fissure height

15. MEASUREMENTS Cont”d
3. Levator Function (Upper lid excursion)
 Place thumb firmly against patients brow to negate action of
frontalis muscle with eyes in down gaze.
 Patient then looks up as far as possible.
 Amount of excursion is measured with a rule.
Normal-up to 15mm
Good 12-14mm
Fair 5-11mm
Poor 4mm or less

16. Levator function

17. MEASUREMENT Cont”d
4. Upper Lid Crease
 Vertical distance between the lid margin and lid crease in
down gaze.
Normal Female-10mm Male 8mm.
NOTE
 Absence of crease in a case of congenital Ptosis suggests
poor levator function.
 High crease suggests an aponeurotic defect.
5 Pretarsal show.
 Distance between the lid margin and skin with eyes in
primary position

18. ASSOCIATED SIGNS cont”d
4. Jaw- winking Phenomenon
 Ask patient to chew and move the jaws from side to side.
5. Bells Phenomenon
 Manually hold the lid open, asking the patient to try to shut
his eyes and observe upward and outward rotation of the
globe.
NOTE
 Weak Bells Phenomenon has risk of post operative exposure
keratitis.

19. Jaw-winking 1

20. Jaw winking 2

21. TYPES OF PTOSIS
1. Simple Congenital Ptosis
a) Pathogenesis
 Failure of nerve migration or development with
muscular sequelae
b) Signs
 Unilateral or bilateral ptosis of variable severity
 Absent upper lid crease
 In down gaze the ptotic lid is higher than the normal
because of poor relaxation of levator.

22. Congenital Mild Right Ptosis

23. Congenital severe left ptosis

24. Congenital severe bilateral ptosis

25. OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
 Superior rectus weakness may be present.
Compensatory chin elevation, especially in
bilateral cases.
Refractive errors are common.
TREATMENT
a. Levator resection.
b. Should be done during pre school years.

26. 2. MARCUS GUN JAW_WINKING SYNDROME
 About 5% of all cases of Congenital Ptosis manifest
Marcus Gun Jaw-winking phenomenon
 Postulated that a branch of the mandibular division
of 5th cranial nerve is misdirected to the levator
muscle.
SIGNS
 Retraction of the Ptotic lid in conjunction with
stimulation of the ipsilateral pterygoid muscle by
chewing, sucking, opening mouth or jaw movement.
 Jaw winking does not improve with age.

27. SURGERY
Possible procedures which can improve
cosmesis.
 Unilateral levator resection.
 Unilateral levator disinsertion.
 Bilateral levator disinsertion

28. 3rd NERVE MISDIRECTION SYNDROME
Misdirection syndrome may be congenital or
acquired,or follow acquired 3rd nerve palsies.
SIGNS
Bizare movements of the upper lid which
accompany various eye movements.
TREATMENT
Levator disinsertion and brow suspension

29. 3rd Nerve misdirection syndrome

30. INVOLUTIONAL PTOSIS
 Age- related condition caused by dehiscence, disinsertion or
stretching of the levator aponeurosis.
 This restricts transmission of force from a normal levator
muscle to the upper lid.
SIGNS
 Variable bilateral ptosis.
 High upper lid crease.
 In severe cases upper lid crease may be absent.
TREATMENT
 Options include.
 Levator resection ,advancement with re insertion.

31. Involutional ptosis

32. MECHANICAL PTOSIS
Result of impaired mobility of the upper lid.
May be caused by large tumours, heavy scar
tissue, severe oedema and anterior orbital
lesions.

33. Mechanical ptosis neurofibroma

34. PTOSIS SURGERY OPTIONS
1 CONJUNCTIVA-MULLER RESECTION
Indications
 Mild Ptosis with Levator Function of at least 10mm
 Maximum lift of the lid is 2-3mm.
 Useful in mild Congenital Ptosis and Horners Syndrome.

35. 2. LEVATOR RESECTION
Indications
 Any cause provided Levator
function is at least 5mm.
Technique
 Involves shortening of
Levator Complex through
either skin or posterior
conjuctiva approach.

36. Conjuctiva-muller resection

37. SURGRY OPTIONS Cont”d
3. BROW SUSPENSION
Indications
 Severe Ptosis (over 4mm) with poor levator function.
 Marcus Gun jaw-winking syndrome
 Ptosis associated with aberrant regeneration of 3rd nerve.
 Unsatisfactory result from previous levator resection
SURGERY
 Involves suspension of the tarsus from the frontalis muscle
with a sling of fascia lata or non absorbable material such as
prolene or silicone.

38. Brow suspension