This is a pleat of skin (line or groove) that appears in the lower eyelid during the first few months of life and may be related to edema of the lid. Although more a marker of atopy than of AD, it can be a clinically useful sign of AD in Caucasians. However, in black races these infraorbital folds are extremely common and bear no relationship to the development of AD. The folds remain throughout life, but become much less prominent in old age.

This is an elongation and protrusion of the corneal surface of the eye that occurs infrequently (1%) in AD patients and is independent of cataract formation. Frequent rubbing of the eyes may be the explanation for these degenerative changes that have their onset in childhood.

11. Anterior subcapsular cataracts

AD patients have an increased incidence of developing bilateral, central, shield-shaped, asymptomatic cataracts that involve the anterior and posterior superficial cortex or both. In AD patients, these cataracts develop at an earlier age and mature more quickly than do senile cataracts.