Stye (hordeolum)

Background

Staphylococcus aureus is the infectious agent in 90-95% of cases of hordeolum.

An external hordeolum arises from a blockage and infection of Zeiss or Moll sebaceous glands. An internal hordeolum is a secondary infection of meibomian glands in the tarsal plate. Both types can arise as a secondary complication of blepharitis.

Untreated, the disease may spontaneously resolve or it may progress to chronic granulation with formation of a painless mass known as a chalazion. Chalazia can be quite large and can cause visual disturbance by deforming the cornea. Generalized cellulitis of the eyelid may occur if an internal hordeolum is untreated.

Risk Factors

Hordeola are found more frequently in persons who have the following:

• Diabetes

• Other debilitating illness

• Chronic blepharitis

• Seborrhea

• High serum lipids (High lipid levels increase the blockage rate of sebaceous glands, but lowering of serum lipid levels in these patients has not decreased frequency of recurrence.)

Source

Adapted from Pani