Medial pretarsal adipose tissue in the Asian upper eyelid.
OBJECTIVE
To report the presence of a localized pad of adipose tissue in the medial anterior tarsal surface of the Asian upper eyelid.


METHODS
Clinicohistologic case series. The presence and extent of a localized pad of adipose tissue in the medial pretarsal area were documented: 1) intraoperatively for 51 consecutive upper eyelid surgeries; and 2) in the histologic study of 10 cadaveric upper eyelid specimens.


RESULTS
Medial pretarsal adipose tissue, ranging from 5 mm to 22 mm in size, was consistently found in all clinical patients regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or underlying pathology. Histologic examination of the cadaveric specimens confirmed the presence of a localized pad of adipose tissue on the anterior surface of the superior tarsus medially.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of a localized pad of adipose tissue on the anterior surface of the medial superior tarsus seems to be a consistent finding in Asians.
Shen
Sunny
S
Singapore National Eye Centre, Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Kanagasuntheram
Rajendran
R
Fong
Kee Siew
KS
Choo
Chai-Teck
CT
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D005143:Eyelids / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged