Surgical Lymphoedema Treatment of Morbihan Disease: A Case Report

Morbihan disease is a rare condition characterized by persistent erythema and solid edema of the upper two thirds of the face, leading to visual impairment and significant esthetic disfigurement. The underlying etiology of the disease remains uncertain, but its correlation with lymphoedema has been conjectured. Definitive treatment options are also lacking, and most current topical, systemic, and surgical interventions provide transient or partial results.In this report, we describe a case of Morbihan disease in a 32-year-old man. He suffered from erythema and swelling over the left periorbital region for 6 years, and was diagnosed with Morbihan disease. As the edema was unresponsive to drug therapy, he was referred to our department. Indocyanine green lymphography was performed, and the diagnosis of facial lymphoedema was confirmed. Manual lymphatic drainage was not effective, so we proceeded with surgical procedures. Lymphaticovenous anastomosis was performed to improve lymphatic drainage, and blepharoplasty was performed to debulk the enlarged tissue of lymphoedema. The visual field improved significantly, and the patient remains free from reexpansion of the lesion during the 1-year follow-up.The surgical approach for lymphoedema treatment can be a viable option for severe Morbihan disease unresponsive to nonsurgical therapies.