title: Eyelid closure at death.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the incidence of full or partial eyelid closure at death.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of ptosis was recorded in 100 consecutive hospice patient deaths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority (63%) of the patients died with their eyes fully closed, however, 37% had bilateral ptosis at death, with incomplete eye closure. In this study, central nervous system tumor involvement and/or acute hepatic encephalopathy appeared to be pre-mortem risk factors of bilateral ptosis at death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Organicity and not psychogenicity is, therefore, the likely etiology of failure of full eyelid closure at death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care, Nurse Maude Hospice, 15 Mansfield Avenue, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Macleod
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ad