Morbihan's disease: treatment with CO2 laser blepharoplasty

Morbihan's disease is a rare condition characterized by chronic persistent erythema and edema of the upper half of the face. Therapeutic regimens such as X-ray irradiation, lymphatic massage, interferon gamma injections, antihistamines, and high-dose antibiotics are often unsatisfactory. Promising results in some patients have been achieved by a systemic combination therapy of isotretinoin with ketotifen or clofazimine. Excision of redundant edematous tissue may be an alternative. We present a 67-year-old Caucasian patient with a two-year history of right lower and upper eyelid swelling and erythema. Systemic therapies with corticocosteroids and antibiotics were not successful, but CO2 laser blepharoplasty led to good cosmetic results with marked improvement of visual impairment and no recurrence during the six-month follow-up period.