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Epicanthus: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Epicanthus is a crescent-shaped vertical fold of skin between the upper and lower eyelids that partially covers the inner corner of the eye slit and changes its configuration, which creates a false impression of convergent strabismus.
Epicanthus is found in most children under 6 months of age, and in adults it is a characteristic feature of representatives of the Mongoloid race. Normally, epicanthus is observed in children with a flat bridge of the nose, as it develops, most of the folds gradually decrease with the child's growth and rarely remain by the age of 7. Bilateral epicanthus is a frequently observed sign of various chromosomal disorders (Down syndrome). The fold can cover the inner corner of the eye, which creates a false impression of convergent strabismus.
[ Symptoms of epicanthus
- Epicanthus palpebralis. Skin folds are symmetrically distributed between the upper and lower eyelids. Most common in Caucasians:
- Epicanthus tarsalis. Skin folds that start from the middle of the upper eyelid and extend medially to the canthus. Most common in Easterners;
- Epicanthus inversus. Skin folds begin in the lower eyelid and extend upward to the medial canthus. Often associated with blepharophimosis syndrome;
- Epicanthus superciliaris. Folds of skin originate from the eyebrow and extend downward and laterally toward the nose.
Clinical forms of epicanthus. a) Superciliary, b) palpebral, c) tarsal, d) reverse
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