Refractive status in congenital ptosis

Abstract

The authors evaluated the status of refraction and the effect of the palpebral aperture in patients with congenital ptosis. To be included in the study, patients were required to have a measurable visual acuity. The study group consisted of 28 cases with unilateral and 11 cases with bilateral ptosis. The authors evaluated the results statistically with the chi square and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests.

Of the 28 patients with unilateral ptosis 17 were male and 11 were female. In 15 of them the right eye was affected and in 13 the left eye. The ages of these patients ranged from seven to 32 years (mean 15.75 ± 6.30). Of these, ten were emmetropic, 16 were myopic and two were hyperopic. The refraction of the fellow eye revealed emmetropia in 22 and myopia in six cases, hyperopia was not observed. The difference in refraction between the eyes with ptosis and the fellow eye was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.01). The palpebral aperture was 8.09 ± 1.4 mm in emmetropic patients and 7.12 ± 2.0 mm in patients with myopia. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.31).

Of the patients with bilateral ptosis eight were male and three were female with a mean age of 11.45 ± 6.93 years (4 to 23). The authors observed myopia in five, emmetropia in three and hyperopia in three of these patients. The difference in refraction between the patients with bilateral and unilateral ptosis was not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.24).

As a result of this study the authors can postulate that the incidence of myopia is increased in ptosis and a narrow palpebral aperture does not have an additional effect on the refraction.

Key Words:

• Congenital ptosis
• refractive errors
• palpebral aperture