Conjunctival edema and alopecia of the external third of the eyebrows in a patient with Meige syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe a patient with Meige syndrome in whom we observed the coexistence of hereditary lymphedema of the lower legs, conjunctival edema and alopecia of the lateral third of the eyebrows.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

Histological examination of the conjunctival and skin specimens showed dermal edema and a slight reduction in the number of severely ectatic lymphatics in the reticular dermis. The vessel were identified as lymphatics on the basis of immunohistochemical evidence of discontinuity and/or absence of basement membrane.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical and histological findings suggest that the etiopathogenesis of the edema in Meige syndrome is related to a structural ectatic defect of lymphatics. This anomaly seems to involve both skin and other sites, such as conjunctival mucosa.