ptosis

Last reviewed 01/2018

Ptosis is from the Greek, to fall, and describes a drooping of one or both upper eyelids.

It may be congenital or acquired, and in either, may be hereditary. In the normal eye position, the upper lid is situated about 2 mm below the limbus and 2 mm above the pupillary margin. The degree of ptosis is assessed by the amount of excursion of the lid margin from full downgaze to full upgaze - less than 4mm is poor, more than 8mm, good.