lagophthalmos

Lagophthalmos is defined as the inability to close the eyelids completely.

Nocturnal lagophthalmos is the inability to close the eyelids during sleep.

Lagophthalmos can arise from a malfunction of the facial nerve.

If this process is impaired, as in lagophthalmos, the eye can suffer abrasions and infections.

Today, lagophthalmos may arise after an overenthusiastic upper blepharoplasty.

Lagophthalmos is a leprosy complication that paralyses the muscles controlling the eyelids.

Class 5: Corneal involvement (primarily due to lagophthalmos)

The first patient was a 28 year old female with a long history of ocular discomfort from lagophthalmos with exposure keratopathy.

The degree of lagophthalmos can be minor (obscure lagophthalmos), or quite obvious.

Leprosy bacilli also attack the nerve controlling eyelid muscles, creating a condition known as lagophthalmos, in which the person is unable to close the eyelids.

However, on assessing lagophthalmos and upper lid closure, cut-offs with more favourable sensitivities and specificities were identified.

Voluntary facial movements, such as wrinkling the brow, showing teeth, frowning, closing the eyes tightly (inability to do so is called lagophthalmos)

General anaesthesia reduces the tonic contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, causing lagophthalmos, or incomplete eye closure in 59% of patients.

If, however, excessive skin is removed, the appearance is unnatural and "lagophthalmos" is one of the signs of such excessive skin removal.

Due to the proptosis, eyelid retraction and lagophthalmos, the cornea is more prone to dryness and may present with chemosis, punctate epithelial erosions and superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis.

Nocturnal Lagophthalmos (where one's eyelids don't close enough to cover the eye completely during sleep) may be an exacerbating factor, in which case using surgical tape to keep the eye closed at night can help.

The causes of Nocturnal Lagophthalmos are not known but infections, traumas and strokes can all worsen the problem while solutions include strapping the eye shut with adhesive strips or using eye patches or eye masks.