Association between the anatomical location of conjunctivochalasis and subjective symptoms: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between the anatomical location of conjunctivochalasis (CCh) and subjective chief complaints in patients who underwent surgical treatment.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective multicenter study

METHODS

This study included 39 eyes of 27 patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic CCh. CCh location was classified as total, nasal, nasal-plus-temporal, or temporal; chief complaints were registered as discomfort/foreign body sensation (FBS), epiphora, or cosmetic complaint. Associations were evaluated by Chi-square test (Cramér's V) and pairwise Fisher's exact tests; age differences by Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS

A significant association was found between CCh location and chief complaint (χ2 = 35.48, P = 0.000003; Cramér's V = 0.674). Total CCh was predominantly associated with discomfort/FBS (P = 0.0038). Nasal CCh showed a predominant pattern of epiphora. Nasal-plus-temporal CCh showed a mixed pattern, epiphora and discomfort/FBS. Temporal CCh was observed predominantly with cosmetic complaints (P < 0.001). Patients with cosmetic complaints were significantly younger than those in other symptom groups (P = 0.0003).

CONCLUSION

In this surgically selected cohort, subjective symptoms were significantly associated with CCh location. Total CCh was associated with discomfort/FBS, nasal CCh with epiphora, and temporal CCh with cosmetic complaints. The combination of CCh location and patient age may further clarify the clinical presentation: older patients with total CCh sought surgery for mechanical irritation, while younger patients with temporal CCh sought surgery for cosmetic reasons. Recognizing this location- and age-based pattern may help clinicians anticipate the chief complaint and support individualized surgical decision-making.