Paralytic lagophthalmos

What it means

A type of lagophthalmos that occurs in association with facial nerve palsy.

Patients with facial nerve palsy have a characteristic facial asymmetry and drooping of the angle of mouth. The temporal and zygomatic branches of facial nerve supply the forehead and eyelid muscles. Their involvement in a disease leads to paralysis of orbicularis oculi muscle resulting in lagophthalmos and ectropion. {xref="PMID:24618488"}

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category