What is an entropion?

An entropion is where an eyelid turns inwards towards the eye. This causes the eyelashes to rub against the front of the eye (the cornea). The lower eyelid is most commonly affected.

What are the symptoms of an entropion?

• Irritation and pain on the front of the eye.
• Watery eye.
• If left untreated, the cornea may become damaged (a corneal ulcer may develop). The cornea is vital for vision and a damaged cornea may affect eyesight.

What causes an entropion?

In the UK, entropion mainly occurs in older people, associated with weakness of the small muscles around the eyelid.

The main cause worldwide is due to trachoma. This is a common infection in tropical countries, which affects the front of the eye. This can lead to scarring and disruption to the eyelid, which makes it turn inwards.

Less common causes include other eye infections or damage. Rarely, people can be born with a defect that causes the eyelid to turn inward.

What is the treatment for an entropion?

If the cause is likely to be temporary, such as an infection or minor injury, taping the eyelid to the cheek or injecting the muscles of the eyelid with botulinum toxin may be enough until the condition recovers. Lubricating eye ointment is often prescribed in the meantime to protect the cornea.

If you have a condition which is unlikely to recover by itself, you will be offered surgery. A small operation is performed to turn the eyelid back to its normal position. This stops the eyelashes from rubbing on the eye. The operation is usually successful and prevents any further damage to the front of the eye.

References

• Deka A, Saikia SP; Botulinum toxin for lower lid entropion correction. Orbit. 2011 Jan;30(1):40-2. [abstract]
• DeBacker C et al, Entropion, Medscape, Aug 2011