July 16, 2012 Stye (chordeolum) is an acute, focal inflammation of the eyelid. It appears as a sudden, painful inflammatory swelling on the edge of the upper or lower eyelid, which may seize the whole eyelid. It is mostly the inflammation of tiny meiboam sebaceous glands on the eye (internal hordeolum), and less often an infection of the apocrine sweat glands of Moll (external hordeolum). The cause of both of them is Staphylococcus aureus, and less commonly Streptococcus.
Types:
External hordeolum
Symptoms: In the place of external hordeolum eyelid is hot, red and dry. In the phase of fluctuation, or ripeness, a yellow bump of pus can be seen on the skin. Then there is mostly a spontaneous penetration of pus next to eyelashes or hair follicles, after what the pain instantly yields.
Treatment: In early stage, hordeolum is treated with warm compresses. It is best to use a warm chamomile teabag wrapped in a dry cloth, and hold it for 10 minutes on closed eyelids, several times a day. At the same time, some antibiotic drops and ointment are put in the eye. If a spontaneous perforation does not occur after the fluctuation, hordeolum is cut with a scalpel so that the incision is parallel with the edge of the eyelid and so the scar is barely visible. Drainage is recommended for some time also with the use of local antibiotics which prevents relapse i.e. reoccurrence of the disease.
Internal hordeolum
Internal hordeolum is an acute, purulent inflammation of meiboam sebaceous glands, which can occur also with the secondary infection of the halacion.
Symptoms: Trough the tie of a twisted eyelid sifts the pus which can spontaneously penetrate through secretory channel of the gland, or through the tie, but still it more often penetrates through skin.
Treatment: It is treated in the same way as external hordeolum. But, in case of incision the procedure corresponds the one at treating halacion.