Epicanthal folds. A deep tissue approach

D. R. Jordan and R. L. Anderson
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.

Epicanthal folds are seen in infants and young children of all races, and they appear as a normal finding in Orientals of all ages. The formation of these folds seems to be related to tension from excessive underlying muscle in many cases. Surgically, a number of techniques have been suggested for their correction, but many of these techniques result in unsightly scars. A technique has been devised for the correction of epicanthal folds that involves an incision on the fold and removes muscle beneath the fold while attaching the skin edges to deep tissues in an attempt to create a crease, which may extend into normal creases. This technique has delivered good functional and cosmetic results in 9 of 10 consecutive cases treated in this manner.