Entropion / Ectropion

Normally, the upper and lower eyelids close tightly, protecting the eye from injury and preventing evaporation of tear fluid. When the eyelid margin rotates inward (entropion), the eyelashes rub against the eye. This causes abrasions on the cornea and aggravating corneal ulcers can also occur.

In the case of an outwardly turned eyelid margin (ectropion), the two eyelids do not meet properly and the tears are no longer distributed over the entire eyeball.

These wetting disorders also pave the way to corneal ulcers.

Entropion as well as ectropion can irritate the eyes and give the feeling that there is a foreign body in the eye (foreign body sensation), or cause the eye to water or redden.

These conditions are more common among older people (and generally the result of increasing slackening of the tissues with age) and in patients with changes in the eyes caused by infection, surgery, or injury.

For people with entropion or ectropion, artificial tears and ointments that moisten the eyes (at night) can be used initially to keep the eye moist and relieve irritation.

In the later stages, entropion and ectropion should be treated surgically - for example, to preserve vision if there is a risk of damage to the eye or if such damage has already occurred (such as a corneal ulcer with entropion).

Entropion is an eyelid that is turned inward. The lower eyelids are much more commonly affected than the upper eyelids. The main cause of entropion is progressive age-related slackening of the connective tissue of the eyelids.
Entropion cannot heal spontaneously and will worsen over time. The eye is irritated because the eyelashes of the eyelid are in constant contact with the cornea. Typical symptoms include pain, redness of the eye, tearing, and photophobia. If such an entropion remains untreated for a long time, severe infections in the cornea and scarring can occur as a result.