Purpose:

To evaluate the outcomes of two surgical procedures for the treatment of early onset intermittent involutional entropion.

Materials-Methods:

The clinical records, eyelid characteristics and postoperative clinical courses of patients who had involutional entropion of the lower eyelid and who underwent entropion correction with either full-thickness eyelid everting (Quickert) sutures alone (Group I) or Quickert sutures combined with lateral tarsal strip procedure (Group II) were included in this retrospective study. The rates of success and complications for each procedure were determined. The clinical parameters of patients in these groups were compared using the t-test and the chisquare test.

Results:

The mean duration of entropion related symptoms of 30 patients aged 70.7±9.4 years was 4.1± 1.1 months. Mild punctuate epitheliopathy was observed in the inferior cornea in 7 (23.3%) patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the mean age, duration of symptoms, amount of horizontal eyelid laxity and duration of follow-up between the two groups. Recurrence of entropion was noted in 3 (%18.8) patients in group I after a mean follow-up duration of 9.9±6.2 months. Recurrences in all 3 patients were noted within the first 4 postoperative months. Significant horizontal ild laxity (9-10 mm) was noted in all three patients with recurrence. There were no cases of recurrence in group II with a mean follow-up duration of 10.4±4.3 months.

Horizontal lid laxity is present in early stages of involutional entropion. Lateral tarsal strip procedure combined with full-thickness eyelid everting sutures appear to be a safe and effective technique for the treatment of involutional entropion.

Keywords: Involutional entropion, lateral tarsal strip, Quickert sutures