Eyelid closure at death.
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.
Ad
Macleod
M
Department of Palliative Care, Nurse Maude Hospice, 15 Mansfield Avenue, Christchurch, New Zealand.