Morbus Morbihan

Abstract

Morbus Morbihan is a rare disease characterized by persistent erythema and edema of the central and upper half of the face, mainly restricted to the forehead, glabella, eyelids, nose and cheeks. It is thought to be a rare complication of rosacea and may lead to fibrotic induration. The characteristic features are a typical clinical picture with histological alterations. Diagnosis and treatment are difficult because of the absence of specific laboratory findings and in most cases resistance to clinical therapy.We report the first case of morbus Morbihan in the ophthalmic literature. A 53-year-old woman complained of erythematous and edematous eyelids which caused a significant visual field defect for 4 years. The typical clinical picture, histological findings and the exclusion of several differential diagnoses led to the diagnosis of morbus Morbihan. Oral rosacea treatment did not result in any improvement, therefore, eyelid reduction surgery followed by lymphatic drainage was performed. Apart from cosmetic improvement a significant reduction of visual field defects was observed postoperatively.