The Relationship Between Eyebrow and Eyelid Position in Patients With Ptosis, Dermatochalasis, and Controls
January 2019
in “
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
”
TLDR In ptosis, brow elevation doesn't lift the eyelid but is driven by efforts to raise the eyelid.
This study explored the relationship between eyebrow and eyelid positions in patients with ptosis, dermatochalasis, and controls. It found that mechanical (involuntary) brow elevation significantly raised the marginal reflex distance (MRD1) in control eyelids and those with dermatochalasis, but not in ptotic eyelids. Voluntary brow elevation increased brow height more than maximal eyelid opening in controls and dermatochalasis, but not in ptosis. Maximal eyelid opening increased MRD1 more than voluntary brow elevation in controls, but not in dermatochalasis or ptosis. The coupling of brow and eyelid margin during maximal eyelid opening was greater in ptotic eyelids compared to controls. The study concluded that in ptosis, mechanical brow elevation does not change eyelid position, suggesting that brow elevation is driven by efforts to raise the eyelid, possibly through co-innervation.
