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Jimu News reporter Liao Shiqi

Correspondent Pei Nishang

Intern Li Qinyan

"My younger brother came for the surgery first, but I didn't expect that my two sisters had the same problem." On July 15, Mr. Gu (a pseudonym), who was taking care of his two daughters in the ward, said that he did not expect that eyelashes would scratch the cornea and affect vision.

Mr. Gu, who lives in Henan, has three children. Half a year ago, his 5-year-old son Maomao (pseudonym) rubbed his eyes and cried to his father that his eyes felt uncomfortable and that something was in them. At first, Mr. Gu didn't pay much attention to it until he found that Maomao's eye mucus was increasing and his eyes were red from time to time. Then he took him to the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University for treatment.

Zhao Min, deputy chief physician of the hospital's eyelid and orbital disease/ocular plastic surgery department, found that Maomao's lower eyelid skin was rolled inward, and his eyelashes were tilted toward the surface of the eyeball and touched the cornea. There were scattered punctate epithelial defects on the cornea. He was diagnosed with entropion and trichiasis of the lower eyelids of both eyes, and required surgical treatment.

"Children with inverted eyelashes are often seen in the outpatient clinic. Because young children cannot express themselves accurately, they often rub their eyes, blink frequently, and cry when exposed to light or wind." Zhao Min introduced that inverted eyelashes in children refer to eyelashes that change their growth direction and grow towards the eyeball. When opening or closing the eyes, the eyelashes will rub against the cornea or conjunctiva, causing children to feel discomfort in the eyeball, tears, and a foreign body sensation. The most serious inverted eyelashes are like a "brush", constantly rubbing the transparent and delicate cornea, which will affect vision over time.

After listening to the doctor's explanation, Mr. Gu decided to have surgery for Maomao as soon as possible. He also told the doctor that his two daughters, one aged 7 and the other 9, always complained of eye discomfort and blinked frequently. At Zhao Min's suggestion, after Maomao was discharged from the hospital, Mr. Gu took his two daughters to the hospital for treatment. After examination, both were diagnosed with entropion and trichiasis, and both needed surgery.

Zhao Min is undergoing surgery

Recently, through double eyelid entropion correction surgery and double eyelid fascioplasty surgery, both patients' eyes have recovered well, their lower eyelashes have grown outwards, and they no longer have symptoms such as photophobia and tearing.

"There are many reasons for inverted eyelashes, which are mainly related to the eyelid structure. In children and adolescents, the main cause is lower eyelid folds and congenital entropion. When the child's nose bridge is not well developed, it is easy for the lower eyelid to turn inward, and inverted eyelashes are likely to occur at this time, especially on the inner side of the lower eyelid near the nose." Zhao Min reminded that if a child has inverted eyelashes, it is necessary to intervene and treat it in time. Once the best treatment period is missed, corneal damage will affect the child's vision. It should be taken seriously and go to the hospital for medical treatment as soon as possible.

(Photo provided by Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University)

(Source: Jimu News)