Lower eyelid ectropion is commonly associated with anterior lamellar shortening after transcutaneous lower eyelid surgery; however, severe ectropion may also develop in older adults even in the absence of skin deficiency. We report a case of marked lower eyelid ectropion in a 78-year-old woman following orbital floor blowout fracture repair via a subciliary incision. Despite minimal anterior lamellar involvement, revision surgery revealed dense middle lamellar fibrosis resulting in significant vertical restriction of eyelid excursion. Targeted adhesiolysis at the level of the arcus marginalis, combined with lateral tarsal strip fixation, successfully restored eyelid position, with stable results maintained at 1-year follow-up. Notably, retrospective review of postoperative magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an early preseptal hematoma followed by fibrotic changes in the septal region, providing radiologic correlation with the intraoperative findings. Although this case originated from reconstructive surgery, it delivers a cautionary message relevant to aesthetic lower eyelid procedures: in older adults undergoing subciliary incisions, postoperative hematoma may precipitate middle lamellar fibrosis and severe ectropion even without an anterior lamellar defect, underscoring the importance of meticulous hematoma prevention.
Kim et al. (2026) studied this question.