Questions and answers

What causes congenital ptosis?

What causes congenital ptosis?

Congenital ptosis is almost always the result of some type of problem with the levator muscle, which keeps the eyelid lifted when your child’s eyes are open. Congenital ptosis can also be the result of a nerve problem in the affected eyelid.

How do you fix ptosis of the upper eyelid?

Ptosis surgery is the only effective method of treatment for severe ptosis that has been present from birth or caused by injury. During this procedure, a surgeon makes a small incision to access and tighten the levator muscle, allowing the patient to then open their eyelid to a more normal height.

What is myogenic ptosis of eyelid?

In myogenic ptosis, the levator muscle is weakened due to a systemic disorder that causes muscle weakness. These conditions may include chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and types of muscular dystrophy. With mechanical ptosis, the eyelid is weighed down by excessive skin or a mass.

Is congenital ptosis curable?

Ptosis can affect one or both eyelids. In some cases, ptosis can restrict and even block normal vision. Sometimes ptosis is present at birth; in other cases it occurs later in life due to injury or disease. Ptosis is usually treated with surgery.

What is ptosis a symptom of?

Ptosis may be caused by normal aging, injury to the eye, or eye disease. In most cases, it is caused by weakness of the eyelid muscle or eye nerve problems. 1 Sometimes the condition is present at birth, referred to as congenital ptosis.

Can stress cause eye ptosis?

Stress. While some research finds no connection between ptosis and stress, studies from Indiana University School of Medicine report evidence of differences between ptosis caused by neurological disorders like myasthenia gravis (MG) and stress-induced ptosis.

Does ptosis correct itself?

It is important to know that ptosis does not correct itself over time. The only way to fix a severe case of ptosis is with surgery.

Can a baby outgrow ptosis?

Unfortunately, congenital ptosis is not usually something that children outgrow, though it’s also unlikely to get any worse. “Most cases of ptosis are mild to moderate and don’t require any treatment unless the family wants elective surgery to correct the eye’s appearance,” Dr. Edmond explains.