Background: Normal contour and tone of the lower eyelid margin are important for preserving the corneal integrity and for the tear distribution on the cornea. Two of most common abnormalities of eyelid margin are ectropion and entropion.
The Aim of the work: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the lateral tarsal strip in the management of the paralytic and involutional ectropion and entropion.
Patients and Methods: We included 69 eyelids of 49 patients. Patients were divided into three groups; Group A: 20 patients with involutional ectropion [bilateral]. Group B: 17 patients with paralytic ectropion due to 7th nerve palsy [unilateral]. Group C: 12 patients with a unilateral involutional entropion.
Results: The mean age of cases was 70.2 ± 10.9 years. 59.2% of cases were male, while 40.8% were female. In group A; Before Lateral Tarsal Strip, the median and range of lid distraction test [LDT] was 0 [0- 13], while after Lateral Tarsal Strip was 0[0-9] [P=0.2]. In group B and C; the median LDT decreased significantly from 14 and 13.5 respectively before Lateral Tarsal Strip to 10 in both groups after Lateral Tarsal Strip [P = 0.001, P = 0.005 respectively].
Conclusion: Lateral tarsal strip is an effective technique for the management of the paralytic and involutional ectropion and entropion.