Congenital entropion with intact lower eyelid retractor insertion

Congenital lower eyelid entropion is generally considered to result from improper development of the retractor aponeurosis insertion to the inferior portion of the tarsal plate. We treated three patients with this uncommon disorder. At operation, aponeurotic defects were anticipated and specifically sought, but in each case the lower eyelid retractors were inserted normally. In two patients, entropion was relieved by surgical disinsertion and then advancement of the retractors. In the third patient, who also had multiple concomitant facial and systemic developmental anomalies, improvement in the lower eyelid malpositions required a combination of procedures. The intraoperative findings in our patients demonstrate that disinsertion of the lower eyelid retractors is not a universal etiologic mechanism in congenital entropion.