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Hordeolum (Stye)

Konstantinos E Deligiannidis, FAAFP, MPH, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • An acute inflammation or infection of the eyelid margin involving the sebaceous gland of an eyelash (external hordeolum) or a meibomian gland (internal hordeolum)

  • System(s) affected: ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Localized inflammation (vs. involvement of the entire eyelid or surrounding skin)

  • Foreign body sensation in the eye

  • Symptoms may start as vague eyelid pain and inflammation, and then lo...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • The hordeolum should not be expressed.

  • Warm compresses to the area of inflammation can help increase blood supply and encourage spontaneous drainage.

  • Good personal hygiene with...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

No restrictions 

Patient Monitoring

The patient should be seen within several weeks to assess the effectiveness of therapy or should at least call the physician’s o...

REFERENCES

1
Lindsley  K, Nichols  JJ, Dickersin  K. Non-surgical interventions for acute internal hordeolum. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.  2017;(1):CD007742. [View Abstract...

ADDITIONAL READING

CODES

ICD10

  • H00.019 Hordeolum externum unspecified eye, unspecified eyelid

  • H00.029 Hordeolum internum unspecified eye, unspecified eyelid

  • H00.039 Abscess of eyelid unspecified eye, unspecified eyelid

  • H00....

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • A hordeolum should not be expressed.

  • Warm compresses to the area of inflammation can encourage spontaneous drainage.

  • Application of an antibiotic ointment (e.g., erythromycin) to the mar...

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