Distichiasis
Distichiasis occurs when hair growing out of the meibomian gland curves inwards. They are not always the cause of pathology but can cause irritation or ulceration.
Each patient is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
In some instances, the inward growing eyelashes are so fine that they do not cause any clinical signs. For those patients with a greater number or more rigid eyelashes, clinical signs are often more evident and warrant treatment.
Distichia can be treated by removal via electrolysis or by cryotherapy – both of which destroy the follicular base of the eyelids. Cryotherapy can lead to de-pigmentation and so sometimes is not as well received by clients. Electrolysis tends to be effective and targeted but will sometimes take more than one treatment to remove every hair.
The difficulty with both treatment options is maintaining the integrity of the eyelid margin and avoiding damage.
Trichiasis
Trichiasis refers to normal anatomical hair that comes into contact with the corneal surface. A common example is the nasal fold seen in brachycephalic breeds such as the Pug, Bulldog, and French Bulldog. These folds may be excised either partially or completely. Surgical removal of the nasal fold can also be beneficial in the management of chronic skin fold dermatitis.This procedure will alter the appearance of the patient which the owner should be counselled to prior to surgery.
Ectopic Cilium
When cilia arise aberrantly from the meibomian glands and project perpendicularly to the conjunctiva, they can cause significant ocular irritation and, in many cases, corneal ulceration. Due to their minute size, these aberrant hairs can be challenging to identify and should ideally be ruled out as a cause of recurrent corneal ulcers. Unlike distichiae, they typically occur as single isolated cilia and are most often managed by surgical removal.
