Distichiasis

Abnormal, additional row of ciliaries of the lower eyelid.

A troublesome and additional row of ciliaries can occur at the lower and/or upper eyelids. These ciliaries are inverted and rub on the surface of the eye.

On the long run, this can lead to painful vulnerations and infections of the cornea.

A distichiasis can be congenital or can develop by different infectious diseases of the eyelids. Oftentimes upper and lower eyelids are affected simultaneously.

Sometimes a distichiasis only appears at a small part of the eyelid, whereas this can be an indication of a tumurous alteration of the respective lid area.

The treatment by a well directed surgery of the lash follicles or a cryo-therapy has good prosperities.

If there is a distichiasis which is questionable concerning its origin, one should also arrange a histological analysis. In very distinctive cases, one has to apply more complicated oculoplastic techniques.