Eyelid Agenesis

temporal portion of upper eyelid is missing

What is it?
A defect seen in cats in which the temporal portion (toward the ear) of the upper eyelid is missing.

What causes it?
Eyelid agenesis is a congenital (present at birth) defect.

What are the symptoms?
This condition results in chronic irritation of the cornea, the clear front part of the eye.  These cats have upper eyelid hairs that rub on the cornea, and some cats are unable to blink completely. 

Who is susceptible to it?
Cats of any breed can be born with this congenital defect.

How is it diagnosed?
Eyelid Agenesis can be diagnosed by a simple eye exam.

How is it treated?
The first step in treating these cats is cryosurgery, a freezing procedure, which destroys the hair follicles of the offending hairs that are rubbing on the cornea.  This occasionally takes two treatments, depending on the severity of the defect.  Some cats also need reconstructive surgery to move additional skin to the upper eyelid to improve their blink and corneal protection.