Chalazion – Diseases of the Eyelids

00:00 Let's talk more about chalazions, and this is noninfectious, so it's going to be swelling typically the upper eyelid again, and it's due specifically to blocking of the Meibomian gland.

00:12 Okay, you're saying, okay, I know you talked about that, but what's a Meibomian gland? Well in fact, Meibomian glands sit up there in the tarsus and they're going to make a modified sebaceous secretion that's going to help to keep the front of the eye relatively moistened.

00:28 That Meibomian gland though, that sits up there within the tarsus can become, the products of that can be blocked and then you'll get this swelling behind it.

00:41 So it's inflammation related to that and in fact, can be confused, can be actually part and parcel of blepharitis, posterior blepharitis.

00:53 Okay, so it may be a very subtle distinction, you shouldn't worry too much about it, but chalazion specifically are due to blockage of the Meibomian gland that sits up there in the tarsus.

01:06 So it's usually painless.

01:08 It's firm, it's kind of rubbery consistency, it's because of all the material It's being made by the Meibomian gland and not getting out from the tarsus so it just swells and swells and swells.

01:19 There is some eyelid tenderness because there are nerves clearly in the eyelid related to this.

01:23 It looks inflamed.

01:24 It's a little bit erythematous.

01:26 The eyelid will feel heavy.

01:28 Yeah, it should, because it's filled up with this sebum that's being made by the Meibomian gland and there will be increased tearing and again, because probably of involvement of the lacrimal gland laterally.

01:41 So that's what we're talking about.

01:44 See the tarsus there and the Meibomian glands that line that inner portion of the tarsus and they, that outflow into and around the eye gets blocked.

01:56 So that's what goes on with the chalazion.

02:00 Things that can cause this, the etiologies, so again, poor lid hygiene, chronic blepharitis, particularly posterior blepharitis where eyelid trauma or surgery or viral conjunctivitis, all those can block the outflow of the sebum from the Meibomian glands.

02:16 There are a variety of things that can happen systemically and you can read them as well as I can read them.

02:22 They're lesser causes overall of chalazion.