396 



DISEASES OF THE EYES 



condition is to treat. Haltanhoff considers that the tendency to entropion 

 is hereditary. 



Clinical Symptoms. — As a rule, the inversion of the lid occurs more 

 frequently in the upper than the lower eyelid, but we may also see both 

 affected at the same time. Sometimes we see a lateral inversion of the 

 eyelid. This is extremely rare, however. A symptom observed is 

 constant irritation, which is caused by the hair of the lashes being 

 directed toward the cornea. We also see a marked increase in lachrymal 

 secretion, a twitching and convulsive compressing of the eyelids, and a 

 thick, gray, purulent mucus accumulates in the corners of the eyes. 

 The hairs of the eyelashes become adherent, and the eyelids may become 

 completely glued together. Besides this we see an intense inflammatory 

 condition of the connective tissue, and in some cases inflammation of the 

 cornea, and in extremely bad cases ulceration (ulcerative keratitis). 



The prognosis may be favorable when we operate at the proper 



Fig. 133. — Entropion operation of lower eyelid. 



time, but relapses are not rare, especially in dogs which show a peculiar 

 wrinkled condition of the facial membrane. We may expect a relapse 

 in such cases where we do not entirely remove the conjunctivitis (primary 

 or secondary) at the same time as the entropion. 



Therapeutics. — It is only in fresh and very mild forms of the disease 

 that we may expect to obtain any favorable results by means of medicinal 

 treatment, and this must be directed toward removing the conjunctivitis 

 which exists in conjunction with entropion, otherwise an operation alone 

 will answer. 



The following methods of operation are suggested: 

 The best method is to carefully remove the hair and thoroughly 

 disinfect the surrounding tissue, and a fold of tissue running parallel to 

 the edge of the lid is picked up by means of a pair of entropion or ordi- 

 nary artery forceps, the fold of skin lifted ]:)eing sufficiently large to 

 make the lid lie in its normal position, care being taken not to include 

 the conjunctiva, and this fold is cut at the edge of the forceps; there 



