A conjunctival-sparing surgical technique for lower eyelid cicatricial entropion repair in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To present five cases of lower eyelid cicatricial entropion secondary to ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) successfully repaired with a conjunctival-sparing surgical technique.

Methods: The records of one surgeon (SKF) were reviewed to identify patients with lower eyelid cicatricial entropion secondary to OCP who underwent repair with a conjunctival-sparing technique between September 1, 2016 and October 18, 2017. The medical records were reviewed and extracted data included: age, gender, past medical history, current medical and OCP status, clinical examination, details of entropion repair surgery, and outcome.

Results: Five patients (three female, two male) were included with ages ranging from 44 to 93 years. All had biopsy proven OCP, which was in remission at the time of surgery, and all were currently receiving immunomodulatory medications. All patients were symptomatic from cicatricial entropion secondary to OCP and underwent successful lower eyelid entropion repair with a conjunctival-sparing technique described herein, involving infraciliary rotation with suture fixation of the orbicularis muscle to the tarsus. Other contributing mechanisms of eyelid malposition including horizontal eyelid laxity and orbicularis oculi override were addressed simultaneously with lateral tarsal plication or orbicularis muscle debulking, resulting in 100% anatomic success and relief of symptoms with no cases of OCP reactivation, and with good durability with an average 13.9 months follow up (range 6.5–22 months).

Conclusions: Successful repair of lower eyelid cicatricial entropion in immunomodulated patients with OCP can be achieved without disease reactivation using a surgical technique that spares the conjunctiva and lower eyelid retractors.

KEYWORDS:

• Cicatricial entropion
• conjunctival-sparing
• entropion repair
• ocular cicatricial pemphigoid

Acknowledgments

This was a podium presentation at the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual Meeting on September 16, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as a poster presentation at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual Meeting on October 26, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.