Ptosis

Alternative names:

drooping eyelid disease; eyelid drooping disease

Definition:

A condition caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves which control those muscles, or laxity of the skin surrounding the eye(s).

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Causes of drooping eyelid (ptosis) may be the normal aging process, a congenital abnormality, or the result of an injury or disease. Risk factors include aging, diabetes, stroke, Horner's syndrome, myasthenia gravis, brain tumor, or cancer, which can affect nerve or muscle response.