Nocturnal lagophthalmos: never seen before in hypernatraemic dehydration

Abstract

We present two cases in which a 10-month-old male infant and another 15-month-old female child presented with symptoms of sleeping with their eyes wide open (lagophthalmos) with features of gastroenteritis (GE) and dehydration. The first child had been seen and discharged the previous day from the paediatric emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of GE. He presented the following day with sleeping discomfort with his eyes wide open and ongoing symptoms of GE. The second child presented to the ED with features of GE. She was found to be sleeping in the ED with her eyes wide open. Investigations of both children revealed hypernatraemic dehydration. Correction of the electrolyte imbalance in both cases over a period of 48 h led to the resolution of symptoms.