A STATISTICAL OBSERVATION OF THE BROWS AND EYELASHES OF LEPERS AND THEIR RELATION TO AFFECTIONS OF THE EYES

Abstract

I made a statistical observation on affections of the brows and eyelashes in 834 cases of lepers and their relation to affections of the eyes, and obtained the following results.
I found out changes of the brows in 60, 50% and those of the eyelashes in 40, 28%, the changes being almost due to leprous infiltration of these parts.
In a majority of cases the brows and eyelashes came off wholly and symmetrically. But in a few cases small and weak hairs remained at the inner side of the brows and in the upper eyelashes.
As above mentioned, falling hairs of the brows and eyelashes should be caused always by a leprous infiltration. But it was not seen in simple cases of maculo-anaesthetic or nervous leprosy against previous studies. Leprous cases, in which falling hairs of the brows and eyelashes were found, should be included in nodular leprosy, or at least distinguished from simple nervous leprosy. Since the face was considered to be a predisposing place of leprous infiltration and falling hairs of the brows and eyelashes could be easily demonstrated, an exact examination of the face must be carried out in making a correct diagnosis of leprosy.
I also found that leprous affections of the eyes combined falling hairs in the brows and eyelashes. This fact indicated that leprous affections of the eyes followed leprous infiltration of their surrounding parts and was not transmitted from other separated parts of the body. This fact also was in accord with my previous findings that leprous change was seen intensiver in the front part of the eyes