| Canthus | |
|---|---|
 Front of left eye with eyelids separated to show medial canthus. | |
| Identifiers | |
| FMA | 59222 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thecanthus (pl.:canthi,palpebral commissures) is either corner of theeye where the upper and lowereyelids meet.[1] More specifically, the inner and outer canthi are, respectively, the medial and lateral ends/angles of thepalpebral fissure.
Thebicanthal plane is thetransversal plane linking both canthi and defines the upper boundary of themidface.
The wordcanthus is theLatinized form of theAncient Greekκανθός (kanthós), meaning 'corner of the eye'.
Theeyes ofEast Asian and someSoutheast Asian people tend to have the inner canthus veiled by theepicanthus. In theCaucasian or double eyelid, the inner corner tends to be exposed completely.[2]
Canthoplasty refers to a plastic surgery of the medial and/or lateral canthus. This technique is common in cosmetic procedures, as well as procedures that address eyelid function or malposition.[3]
Acanthotomy involves cutting the canthus, often performed to release excessive orbital pressure (i.e., from orbital hemorrhage or infection).[4]
The two canthi of each eye (medial and lateral, that is, inner and outer) are represented incephalometric analysis by the endocanthion and exocanthion landmarks (single points representing the point of each commissural angle).
Telecanthus, or dystopia canthorum, is a lateral displacement of the inner canthi of the eyes, giving an appearance of a widenednasal bridge.[5] It is associated withWaardenburg syndrome, which is due to mutation in PAX gene.[6]
Canthotomy is a procedure performed to increase the orbital space by cutting the lateral canthus. This procedure reduces the orbital pressure that results from a retrobulbar hemorrhage.
