File:Epicanthic_Fold.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
epicanthic fold
Sign in to saveAlso known as epicanthal fold, palpebronasal fold, Mongoloid fold, epicanthus, eye fold
fold on upper eye lid
Key facts
- Synonyms
- Epicanthal fold, epicanthus, eye fold, Mongoloid fold, palpebronasal fold
- Pronunciation
- / ˌ ɛ p ɪ ˌ k æ n θ ɪ k ˈ f oʊ l d /
- Latin
- plica palpebronasalis
- Ta98
- A15.2.07.028
via Wikipedia infobox
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
An epicanthic fold or epicanthus (/ˌɛpɪˈkænθəs/) is a vertical fold of skin on either side of the nose, sometimes covering the inner canthus (medial canthus) of the eye. However, variation occurs in the nature of this feature and the presence of "partial epicanthic folds" or "slight epicanthic folds" is noted in the relevant literature. Various factors influence whether epicanthic folds form, including ancestry, age, and certain medical conditions.
The primary cause of the epicanthic fold is the hypertrophy of the preseptal (anterior to the orbital septum) portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “epicanthic fold” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.