Blepharoptosis as a complication of percutaneous ethanol injection of thyroid cyst

Complications of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for thyroid cyst are rare. Almost all complications reported have been transient, including Horner’s syndrome. We provide herein the first description of persistent blepharoptosis subsequent to PEI, necessitating surgical correction. A 54-year-old woman presented to our hospital with left blepharoptosis that had occurred the day after PEI for a thyroid cyst. She showed 2 mm of blepharoptosis and 1 mm of miosis in the left eye compared to the right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated no abnormalities, and computed tomography detected no lesions in the neck or chest other than the already known cyst. Instillation of phenylephrine eye drops allowed elevation of the left upper eyelid. Considering these findings, we diagnosed the blepharoptosis as part of Horner’s syndrome. The ptosis was corrected by levator aponeurosis advancement. No recurrence has been observed as of 9 months postoperatively.