Upper Eyelid and Eyebrow Dimensions in Adult Filipinos
Elaine Marie Y. Omaña, MD, MHA, DPBO,
Maria Suzanne A. Sabundayo-Tiu, MD, DPBO, Lourdes T. Ang, MD, DPBO
Department of Ophthalmology, Rizal Medical Center
Pasig Boulevard, Brgy. Pineda, Pasig City, Philippines
Correspondence: Elaine Marie Y. Omaña, MD
Department of Ophthalmology, Rizal Medical Center
Pasig Boulevard, Brgy. Pineda, Pasig City, Philippines
e-mail: emcy_25@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The authors report no conflict of interests.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the normative values for upper eyelid and eyebrow dimensions among adult Filipinos and the effects of age and sex on these parameters.
Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study involving 75 Filipino adults who were recruited from a single tertiary government hospital in the Philippines. Profile data collected included age and sex, while clinical data included measurements of the pretarsal skin height (PSH), eyelid crease height (ECH) and eyebrow height (EBH) by a single observer, with the average of an individual’s eyes used as the representative measurement. An inter eye correlation coefficient was calculated. The subjects were categorized into 4 age groups (i.e. early, early middle, late middle, and late adulthood) and according to gender for statistical analyses. All measurements were compared across age groups using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and between sexes using t-test.
Results: This study included 43 males and 32 females. Overall, mean PSH measured was 4.5 ± 1.5 mm; mean ECH was 5.9 ± 1.7 mm, while mean EBH was 10.4 ± 2.7 mm. Means of PSH and EBH showed similar measurements between sexes. The mean ECH of females in early adulthood was significantly higher than the mean ECH of males belonging to the same age group (p=0.01). Among the female group, mean EBH was also observed to increase with age (p=0.02). A high degree of inter-eye correlation was observed (r = 0.94 to 1.00).
Conclusion: Filipinos have unique upper eyelid and brow features compared to other races. Sex-related differences were not identified in PSH and EBH. While EBH increased with age among female subjects.
Keywords: Eyelid, Eyelid Crease Height; Pretarsal Skin Height; Eyebrow Height; Adult Filipinos
Philipp J Ophthalmol 2021;46:96-102