A chalazion is a hard, usually painless bump on the eyelid that results from chronic inflammation of the meibomian glands of the eyelids. It can become infected and appear red, swollen, and tender. Some skin problems, such as seborrheic dermatitis, chronic blepharitis, and rosacea.can cause chronic inflammation of the eyelid tissues, leading to blockage of the meibomian glands.
Acute chalazia are treated by placing a warm compress over the eyelid. Steroid medicine can be injected into the chalazia. Antibiotic eyedrops or ointment may be used for early, inflamed chalazion. Chronic chalazia will need surgical treatment.
Chalazion removal is performed under local anesthesia in the doctor’s office. A plastic shield is placed over the eyeball for protection. The chalazion is opened with a tiny incision from either the inside or the outside of the eyelid, removing the contents of the chalazion. The walls are then scraped for it to be closed.
It is very uncommon for the eye to be damaged or infected during the procedure. Chalazia that are too close to the tear duct may damage the drainage system. A chalazion can come back after removal, or a new chalazion can develop next to where the old one was removed.