Ophthalmic referrals for sleep apnea patients may be vital, reports Ophthalmology Times.

I first became aware of this entity when, as an assistant professor in my cornea practice, I began seeing patients with inflamed tarsal conjunctivae and lax upper lids: the newly recognized floppy eyelid syndrome. Most of these patients were quite overweight and some would share that they would wake up to find their upper eyelids inverted. It never seemed (and to this day still does not seem) obvious to me that sleep apnea should manifest itself by dissolution of the tarsus.