A chalazion occurs when the ducts of the sebaceous glands in the upper or lower eyelid (meibomian glands, Zeiss glands) are blocked and a build-up of secretions forms. The sebum leaks into the tissue and causes a foreign body reaction. A chalazion is referred to as a "chronic" inflammation due to a foreign body reaction with subsequent formation of scar tissue.
By Poupig - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
The tissue from the upper or lower eyelid has simply "packed" the inflamed area and discarded it as cellular waste. This is a granulomatous tissue reaction with so-called giant cells to the stuck secretions of the Meibomian or Zeisian sebaceous glands. The giant cells try to eat up the waxy secretions. If the chalazion breaks through to the conjunctiva, a stalked, broad giant chalazion forms.
The basis for a chalazion can be blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margin) or acne rosacea. In contrast to sty, chalazion is not usually caused by bacteria. In the case of sty, there is a painful acute infection caused by staphylococci. The chalazion is not painful, in contrast to the sty, where the pain also radiates to the surrounding facial region.
In contrast to a sty, a chalazion hardly hurts at all. It sits under the skin in the upper or lower eyelid like a small, easily movable lump. A chalazion usually exists for months before the affected person notices it and only disappears spontaneously after several months.
The ophthalmologist can easily diagnose a chalazion using a slit lamp. In rare cases, a chalazion can also be a sebaceous gland or sweat gland carcinoma, which occurs more frequently in South East Asia. Therefore, every recurrent chalazion should be examined microscopically.
The principle of healing consists of heating the encapsulated meibomian gland, the chalazion, to 40 to 45 degrees in order to liquefy and melt the waxy solid secretions. In many cases, this causes the chalazion to shrink and heal. In addition, antiseptic ointments such as Posiformin eye ointment can be used to accelerate healing.
If this measure does not help and you want to get rid of the chalazion, it must be opened from the inside of the eyelid through an incision and scraped out with a sharp spoon. In addition, the capsule of the chalazion is removed as far as possible with scissors.
Various eye ointments are available for drug treatment, including Posiformin eye ointment, Gentamycin eye ointment or Isopto-Max eye ointment.
The chalazion heals in 80 percent of cases within 1 to 2 weeks with heat (10 minutes of exposure to red light, 40 degree warm compress), antiseptic ointment and light massage with the fingertip. If the chalazion does not heal after several weeks, it can be surgically removed.
The Leading Medicine Guide's quality assurance is ensured by the following acceptance prerequisites.
