Ptosis is also called "drooping eyelid." It is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves which control those muscles, or laxity of the skin of the upper eyelids.
Alternative Names:
Drooping eyelids
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Drooping eyelid can be caused by the normal aging process, a congenital abnormality (present before birth), or the result of an injury or disease.
Special tests may be done to evaluate suspected causes, such as myasthenia gravis
Review Date: 8/8/2006
Reviewed By: Paul B. Griggs, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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General Eye Care
