A symblepharon is an adhesion between the eyelid and the eyeball. It can involve just one lid or both. This adhesion of subepithelial scarring can lead to other lid complications such as aberrant lash growth and entropion. Symblepharon can develop as a complication of several diseases and/or etiologies, which include:

• Severe dry eye syndrome.
• Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) / toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
• Lichen planus.
• Erythema multiforme.
• Graft-versus-host disease.
• Cicatricial pemphigoid.
• Linear IgA bullous dermatosis.
• Bullous pemphigoid.
• Granulomatosis with polyangiitis.
• Sarcoidosis.
• Keratoconjunctivitis associated with conjunctival scarring such as chlamydial, vernal, atopic, and bacterial conjunctivitis.
• Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.
• Chemical injury (see corneal chemical burn).
• Porphyria cutanea tarda.
• Burns.
• Postsurgical.
• Congenital (rare).

Thus, presentation may be dependent upon the etiology. For most individuals, the common symptoms include:

• Redness.
• Tearing.
• Burning sensation.
• Foreign body sensation.
• Photophobia.
• Lid heaviness.
• Blepharospasm.

Finally, patients can also present with ocular motility disorders, diplopia (due to limitation of eye movement), trichiasis, entropion, inadequate lid closure, and blindness, depending on severity.