Chalazion

A 21 year old girl presents with a painless lump in her right upper lid. She says that this has been present for a few weeks and seems to be enlarging slowly. Her pharmacist suggested an antibiotic ointment, which she has been using for a few days with no benefit. A chalazion, or meibomian cyst, is a focus of granulomatous inflammation within the eyelid. It arises from retained meibomian secretions. It is benign and often self limiting. It can occur in all age groups and is common in primary care.