[Palpebral measurements in healthy subjects in Zaire]

It is to establish the age norms of upper eyelid in the black subjects.

Measurements of upper eyelid, eyebrow height, crease height and the palpebral fissure were performed on 174 healthy Zairian subjects, without facial abnormalities. The subjects age-ranged from 1 to 60 years. There were 73 males (mean age +/- SD, 25.8 years +/- 15.6) and 101 females (mean age +/- SD, 24.8 years +/- 13.4). No statistically significant difference was found between the two sexes for mean age. Subjects were divided into five age groups: the first age group included subjects aged from 1 to 10 years, the second age group included subjects aged from 11 to 20 years, the third age group included subjects aged from 21 to 30 years, the fourth age group included subjects aged from 31 to 40 years, the fifth age group included subjects aged from 41 to 60 years. The measurements were performed with a ruler.

The mean eyebrow height measurements varied from 10.72 (group I) to 11.87 mm (group V) for the right eye, and from 10.76 mm (group I) to 11.74 mm (group V) for the left eye. Average pretarsal skin height ranged from 3.17 mm (group I) to 3.17 mm (group V) for the right eye and from 3.24 mm (group I) to 3.00 mm (group V) for the left eye. Average crease height measurements varied from 5.54 mm (group I) to 6.48 mm (group V) for the right eye, and from 5.57 mm (group I) to 6.78 mm (group V) for the left eye. The average palpebral fissure varied from 8.97 mm (group I) to 9.83 mm (group V) for the right eye and from 8.86 mm (group I) to 10.00 mm (group V) for the left eye. All measurements were aged related (p < 0.05).

Our results of upper eyelid crease height, eyebrow height, the amount of visible pretarsal skin and the amount of the palpebral fissure showed higher values than those published recently for caucasian subjects. The data obtained in this study showed racial difference and must be taken into account in interpretations of palpebral diseases and cosmetic surgery of the eyelid.