Blepharoptosis and upper eyelid swelling due to lipogranulomatous inflammation caused by silicone oil

PURPOSE: Report of two patients who presented with unilateral upper eyelid swelling and ptosis 1 and 8 years, respectively, after vitreoretinal surgery with intraocular silicone oil. DESIGN: Report of two cases. METHODS: In the first case, the oil was still present in the eye. In the second case, the intraocular oil and an epibulbar buckle had been removed 7 years earlier. RESULTS: Histopathology of upper eyelid skin and preaponeurotic fat revealed lipogranulomatous inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Leakage of intraocular silicone oil into the eyelid tissues may cause an inflammatory reaction resulting in eyelid swelling and ptosis. We presume that in the first patient, silicone oil had leaked from the eye during or after surgery; in the second patient, silicone oil had probably been left behind in the space previously occupied by the epibulbar buckle.

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