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Ptosis

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Definition:

Ptosis is also called "drooping eyelid." It is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves which control those muscles, or laxity of the skin of the upper eyelids.

Alternative Names:

Drooping eyelids

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Drooping eyelid can be caused by the normal aging process, a congenital abnormality (present before birth), or the result of an injury or disease.

Risk factors include aging, diabetes , stroke , Horner's syndrome , myasthenia gravis , and a brain tumor or other cancer , which can affect nerve or muscle reactions.

• Review Date: 8/8/2006
• Reviewed By: Paul B. Griggs, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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