What is distichiasis?
Distichia are hairs which grow abnormally from glands on the eyelid margin rather than from hair follicles on the skin. This means that they contact the surface of the eye and can be very irritating.
What are the clinical signs?
Distichia are difficult to see without magnification unless there are a large amount present. The most common clinical signs noted include:
- Watery eyes
- Increased blinking
- Excessive rubbing of the eyes
- Ocular redness
How are they diagnosed?
If there are many hairs they may be visible with the naked eye using a bright light source. Magnification is often required using specialised equipment such a slit lamp biomicroscope, thus a diagnosis may only be made following referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
Can they be treated?
If the hairs are causing significant irritation for your pet then treatment is advised. At Animal Eye Care our treatment of choice involves freezing the abnormal hairs using cryotherapy followed by manual epilation. The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia and requires the use of an operating microscope for adequate magnification.
It is important to note that several procedures may be required in some cases, especially those with numerous hairs and in young patients. This is due to an approximate recurrence rate of 10% following cryotherapy, and the fact that new hairs can grow until physical maturity is reached.
