X-ray epilation for the treatment of trichiasis.

.richiasis is a complication of many different disorders of the eyelids. Treatment is difficult and painful when conventional methods of plucking, surgical excision, electrolysis, or cryotherapy are employed. Since superficial x-ray therapy for the treatment of eyelid skin cancers causes permanent loss of the eyelashes in the irradiated field, we attempted to exploit this observation for the treatment of trichiasis. A rabbit model was used to determine the minimum permanent epilating dose. The dose was found to be approximately 4,000 rad of superficial radiation along with the following factors: 110 kV, 10 mamp, a target skin distance of 20 cm, a half-value layer of 1.0 mm of aluminum, and no filter. The dosage schedule used was 300 rad given three times per week. Two patients with severe scarring trichiasis were treated with the same factors and a total dose of 4,000 rad; excellent results were achieved. We believe that x-ray therapy is an easy, safe, and painless method for the management and cure of chronic trichiasis.