A Dennie–Morgan fold, also known as a Dennie–Morgan line or an infraorbital fold, is a fold or line in the skin below the lower

eyelid An eyelid ( ) is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. "Palpebral ...

. It can simply be an ethnic/genetic trait, but was found in one study to occur in 25% of patients with

atopic dermatitis Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a long-term type of inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis is also often called simply eczema but the same term is also used to refer to dermatitis, the larger group of skin conditi ...

. The presence of Dennie–Morgan folds can be used as a

diagnostic Diagnosis (: diagnoses) is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in a lot of different academic discipline, disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " ...

marker for

allergy Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...

, with a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 76% for atopic dermatitis according to one study, although another study found them to be of diagnostic significance in atopic dermatitis. The condition was described by Charles Clayton Dennie and David B. Morgan in 1948. The pathophysiology of this sign is not clear. One proposed mechanism is that continuous spasm of the

superior tarsal muscle The superior tarsal muscle is a smooth muscle adjoining the levator palpebrae superioris muscle muscle that helps to raise the upper eyelid. Structure The superior tarsal muscle originates on the underside of levator palpebrae superioris m ...

and skin edema could be due to hypoxia from poor circulation. A Dennie–Morgan fold should not be confused with an "

allergic shiner An allergic shiner is a dark discoloration below the eye that is associated with allergic rhinitis and is often seen in conjunction with bilateral Dennie–Morgan folds. These shiners are caused by venous congestion within the infraorbital groov ...

", which is a purple-gray discoloration with associated fullness beneath the lower eyelid. This is related to the accumulation of blood and other fluid in the infraorbital groove resulting from

nasal congestion Nasal congestion is the partial or complete blockage of nasal passages, leading to impaired nasal breathing, usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflammation of blood vessels. Background In about 85% of cases, nasal ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dennie-Morgan fold Eye Facial features Human eye anatomy Immune system disorders Medical signs Skin anatomy Anatomy named for one who described it

See also

References