Eyelid Disorders

Overview :

Eyelids consist of thin folds of skin, muscle, and connective tissue. The eyelids protect the eyes and spread tears over the front of the eyes. The inside of the eyelids are lined with the conjunctiva of the eyelid (the palpebral conjunctiva), and the outside of the lids are covered with the body's thinnest skin. Some common lid problems include the following: stye, blepharitis, chalazion, entropion, ectropion, eyelid edema, and eyelid tumors.

Stye

A stye is an infection of one of the three types of eyelid glands near the lid margins, at the base of the lashes.

Chalazion

A chalazion is an enlargement of a meibomian gland (an oil-producing gland in the eyelid), usually not associated with an infectious agent. More likely, the gland opening is clogged. Initially, a chalazion may resemble a stye, but it usually grows larger. A chalazion may also be located in the middle of the lid and be internal.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is the inflammation of the eyelid margins, often with scales and crust. It can lead to eyelash loss, chalazia, styes, ectropion, corneal damage, excessive tearing, and chronic conjunctivitis.

Entropion

Entropion is a condition where the eyelid margin (usually the lower one) is turned inward; the eyelashes touch the eye and irritate the cornea.

Ectropion

Ectropion is a condition where one or both eyelid margins turn outward, exposing both the conjunctiva that covers the eye and the conjunctiva that lines the eyelid.

Eyelid edema

Eyelid edema is a condition where the eyelids contain excessive fluid.

Eyelid tumors

Eyelids are susceptible to the same skin tumors as the skin over the rest of the body, including noncancerous tumors and cancerous tumors (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and sebaceous gland carcinoma). Eyelid muscles are susceptible to sarcoma.