Elsevier

Ophthalmology

Volume 118, Issue 6, June 2011, Pages 1180-1183
Ophthalmology

Original article
Incidence and Demographics of Childhood Ptosis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2010.10.026Get rights and content

Purpose

To report the incidence and demographics of childhood ptosis diagnosed over a 40-year period in a well-defined population.

Design

Retrospective, population-based cohort study.

Participants

Patients (<19 years) diagnosed with childhood ptosis and residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, from January 1, 1965, through December 31, 2004.

Methods

The medical records of all potential patients identified by the Rochester Epidemiology Project were reviewed.

Main Outcome Measures

Calculated annual age- and gender-specific incidence rates and demographic information.

Results

A total of 107 children were diagnosed with ptosis during the 40-year period, yielding an incidence of 7.9 per 100 000 younger than 19 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.4–9.5). Ninety-six (89.7%) of the 107 had congenital-onset disease. Eighty-one (75%) of the 107 had simple congenital ptosis, yielding a birth prevalence of 1 in 842 births. A family history of childhood ptosis was present in 12% of queried patients with simple congenital ptosis. Three (4%) of the simple congenital ptosis cases were bilateral and 55 (68%) of the unilateral cases involved the left upper eyelid (95% CI, 57%–78%; P<0.001).

Conclusions

Childhood ptosis was diagnosed in 7.9 per 100 000 patients younger than 19 years (95% CI, 6.4–9.5). Simple congenital ptosis was the most prevalent form, occurring in 1 in 842 births, and was significantly more likely to involve the left side.

Financial Disclosure(s)

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Section snippets

Patients and Methods

The medical records of all patients younger than 19 years who were residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, when diagnosed with ptosis between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 2004, were reviewed retrospectively. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study. Potential cases of ptosis were identified using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a medical record linkage system designed to capture data on any patient–physician encounter in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

Results

A total of 107 patients younger than 19 years of age were diagnosed with childhood ptosis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, during the 40-year study period. This number corresponds to an age-and gender-adjusted incidence of 7.9 per 100 000 residents younger than 19 years (95% CI, 6.4–9.5). There were 59 (55%) males with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 8.4 (95% CI, 6.3–10.6) per 100 000 compared with and 48 (45%) females with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 7.4 (95% CI, 5.3–9.5) per 100 000 (P =

Discussion

Childhood ptosis was diagnosed in 107 children or 7.9 per 100 000 patients younger than 19 years as residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, during the 40-year study period. Simple congenital ptosis was the most prevalent subtype of childhood ptosis diagnosed, comprising 76% of all cases and occurring in 1 in 842 live births. A presumed congenital onset occurred in 90% of patients, and the left eyelid was involved in two thirds of patients with unilateral simple congenital ptosis.

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    Manuscript no. 2010-1044.

    Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

    Supported in part by the Rochester Epidemiology Project (grant no.: R01-AR30582 from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases), Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota; and by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York.

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