Ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum: Report of two cases

Abstract

Ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum (AFA) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by partial or complete adhesion of upper and lower eyelids, usually seen as an isolated finding but often associated with other anomalies or a well-defined syndrome. We report two cases of AFA who presented at a tertiary eye care center of West Bengal. Family history of consanguinity was absent. One baby had abnormal tuft of hair over the small of the back. No other congenital abnormalities were detected in any of them. The adhesions of the eyelids were divided by a number 15 blade after crushing with mosquito forceps in both cases without any anesthesia. Subsequent ocular examinations following separation and during follow-up revealed normal eyelid function, ocular motility, and fundus. In a case of AFA, timely separation of the eyelids is crucial to avoid the development of occlusion amblyopia. Cases of AFA reported in the literature are reviewed.

A Systematic Approach of the Intrauterine Morphogenesis of the Human Palpebral Apparatus

“…On the other hand, we have not encountered any Ankyloblepharon Filiforme Adnatum (AFA) cases that could support Sevel’s theory that eyelid separation takes place in a loose momentum throughout gestation rather than at a definite time. 10 , 16 Even so, the low incidence of AFA, 33–35 as well as the lack of fellow subjects included in our paper seem to support Tawfik, Doxanas, Anderson, and Byun’s postulates. We, however, tend to agree with Sevel, but histological slides from further case reports could explain both AFA pathogenesis and eyelid separation process, thus settling the dispute.…”

Bilateral ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum: a video documentation

“…The management of AFA is simple and involves crushing the band with clamp or forceps followed by surgically excising it. 9 In our case, the child was having a group I AFA and had a satisfactory outcome with surgery.…”

Isolated ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum: A case report

“…Von Hasner in 1881 was the first to report this condition as a benign congenital anomaly, usually associated with multiple and complex malformations, suggestive of autosomal dominant inheritance of varying degrees of penetrance,[ 3 5 ] and sporadic cases have also been reported. [ 6 ] No sex affinity has been reported to date.…”