Ablepharon Macrostomia Syndrome: Rib Cartilage and Fat Grafting for Lower Lid Reconstruction

Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome (AMS) is a rare condition with fewer than 20 cases being reported in the literature. Features of AMS include ablepharon, hypertelorism, macrostomia, dysplastic ears, sparse body hair, and ambiguous genitalia. The most significant phenotypic presentation is rudimentary eyelids resulting in exposure keratopathy, corneal abrasions, and potential blindness. Numerous methods including primary full thickness skin grafting, conjunctival sutures followed by full thickness skin grafting, and a combination of skin grafting and local flaps have been described for definitive eyelid reconstruction in these patients. The authors report the first case of autologous rib cartilage grafting and fat grafting for lower eyelid reconstruction in a patient with AMS.