Lid causes of the acute red eye
Blepharitis
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= chronically inflamed eyelid margins
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commonest causes = Staph aureus and Staph epidermidis
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associations:
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acne roasea
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seborrhoeic dermatitis
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examination findings
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hyperaemic (red + inflamed) lid margins
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lash crusting
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meibomian gland cysts
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blocked openings of meibomian glands
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treatment
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lid hygiene - keeping eyelids clean with sodium bicarbonate solution
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warm compresses - flannels soaked in warm water applied to the eye, up to 6x per day
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antibiotic ointment
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lubricating eye drops
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oral tetracycline antibiotics
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Stye
- = infected hair follicle, aka hordeolum
Entropion
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in turning of eyelid
Ectropion
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outward turning of eyelid
Herpes zoster ophthalmicus
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shingles - reactivation of herpes zoster virus (HZV) which is lying dormant in dorsal root ganglion
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can affect ophthalmic branch of trigeminal nerve - has sensory branches to forehead and top of face, including eye and eyelid, to tip of nose