Correction of congenital eyelid ptosis with the Crawford technique

Abstract

Introduction: ptosis is the lowering or dysfunction of the eyelid with respect to its normal position, due to congenital or acquired lesions. This condition causes functional and aesthetic deficits. If the medical indication is surgery, the eyelid dysfunction must be evaluated to choose the appropriate technique.

Objective: to present an adolescent with unilateral right congenital eyelid ptosis, operated on with the Crawford technique, with satisfactory results.

Case presentation: a 15-year-old white male patient with a previous health history attended the ocular plastic surgery clinic at the “Manuel Ascunce Domenech” University Hospital with his parents, who reported drooping of the upper eyelid of the right eye since birth. Six months before the consultation, she noticed visual difficulty and the position of her right eyelid affected her appearance. In the right eye, the upper eyelid margin drooped more than 2 mm, a 6 mm palpebral fissure in the primary gaze position, and an elevation of the eyelid of less than 5 mm, with slight contraction of the frontalis muscle on that side. The patient was diagnosed with congenital ptosis and underwent surgery using the Crawford technique. The result was satisfactory.

Conclusions: a detailed examination of the patient enabled a correct diagnosis and the choice of the appropriate surgical technique, in this case the Crawford technique. The description of the present case showed that the timely diagnosis of this visual defect is vital for its timely correction, which can avoid serious functional and aesthetic damage