Ankyloblepharon must be differentiated from blepharophimosis, in which palpebral aperture is reduced and there is telecanthus, but the eyelid margins are normal.
Timely separation of the eyelids is very important to avoid the development of occlusion amblyopia.
[6] Congenital ankyloblepharon occurs when the lid margins fail to separate at birth.
The currently accepted theory is that this condition is due to temporary epithelial arrest and rapid mesenchymal proliferation, allowing union of eyelids at abnormal positions.
[3] The word ankyloblepharon is derived from Greek ankylos (ἀγκύλος) 'bent, crooked, closed' and blepharon (βλέφαρον) 'eyelid'.