Surgical approach in a rare case of coloboma–choristoma

Embryogenic eyelid defects can be isolated or associated with malformative diseases, such as Tessier craniofacial clefts. We describe the exceptional coexistence of upper eyelid coloboma and lower eyelid dermolipoma in a 45-day-old infant with a Tessier no. 0–1 cleft. The surgical intervention carried out on this patient, which used a flap of subconjunctival choristoma and grafting of reshaped cutaneous and tarsal portions of a preauricular anlage, is presented as a technique for correcting congenital palpebral coloboma. Adoption of this technique allowed virtually complete repair of the defect and gave an acceptable functional and cosmetic result.