Ptosis Not Such an Uncommon Sign of Hemispheric Stroke

Eyelid dysfunction (ptosis, apraxia of eyelid opening, or blepharospasm) may occur in the context of cerebral hemisphere disease, but the incidence and the natural history of these abnormalities have not been studied extensively. These authors prospectively studied "cerebral ptosis" as it occurred in patients admitted for acute hemispheric stroke and compared these findings with those in 40 age-matched controls without neurologic disease. The investigators carefully defined ptosis (for example, as distinguished from eyelid opening apraxia) and excluded patients who had hemorrhagic stroke or TIA, were too drowsy to cooperate with the neuro-ophthalmologic examination, or had signs of brainstem disease, levator dehiscence, or dermatochalasis.

O…