Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Jan 9;1(1):CD007742.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007742.pub4.

Non-surgical interventions for acute internal hordeolum

Kristina Lindsley  1 , Jason J Nichols  2 , Kay Dickersin  3
Affiliations

Non-surgical interventions for acute internal hordeolum

Kristina Lindsley et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: A hordeolum is a common, painful inflammation of the eyelid margin that is usually caused by a bacterial infection. The infection affects oil glands of the eyelid and can be either internal or external. In many cases, the lesion drains spontaneously and resolves without treatment; however, the inflammation can spread to other ocular glands or tissues, and recurrences are common. If unresolved, an acute internal hordeolum can become chronic, or can develop into a chalazion. External hordeola, also known as styes, were not included in the scope of this review.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to investigate the effectiveness, and when possible, the safety, of non-surgical treatments for acute internal hordeola compared with observation or placebo.

Search methods: We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register (2016; Issue 12)), MEDLINE Ovid, MEDLINE Ovid Epub Ahead of Print, MEDLINE Ovid In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE(R) Ovid Daily (January 1946 to December 2016), Embase (January 1947 to December 2016), PubMed (1948 to December 2016), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS (January 1982 to December 2016)), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT; www.controlled-trials.com (last searched 26 July 2012)), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We used no date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 2 December 2016.

Selection criteria: The selection criteria for this review included randomized or quasi-randomized clinical trials of participants diagnosed with an acute internal hordeolum. Studies of participants with external hordeola (styes), chronic hordeola, or chalazia were excluded. Non-surgical interventions of interest included the use of hot or warm compresses, lid scrubs, antibiotics, or steroids compared with observation, placebo, or other active interventions.

Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently assessed the references identified by electronic searches for inclusion in this review. No relevant studies were found. The reasons for exclusion were documented.

Main results: No trials were identified for this review. Most of the references identified through our search reported on external hordeola or chronic internal hordeola. The few references specific to acute internal hordeola reported recommendations for treatment, were reports of interventional case series, case studies, or other types of observational study designs, and were published more than 20 years ago.

Authors' conclusions: We did not find any evidence for or against the effectiveness of non-surgical interventions for the treatment of an internal hordeolum. Controlled clinical trials would be useful to determine which interventions are effective for the treatment of acute internal hordeola.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

KL: none known. JJN: none known. KD: none known.

Figures

1
1
Study flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Update of

References

References to studies excluded from this review

Bahgat 1986 {published data only}
    1. Bahgat MM. Comparative study of local injection therapy of chalazia. Orbit 1986;5(3):219‐22.
Chen 2000 {published data only}
    1. Chen H. Effective observation on 111 cases of hordeolum treated by bloodleting in the point of ear. Journal of Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2000;22(1):29.
Comstock 2012 {published and unpublished data}
    1. Comstock TL, Paterno MR, Bateman KM, Decory HH, Gearinger M. Safety and tolerability of loteprednol etabonate 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic suspension in pediatric subjects. Paediatric Drugs 2012;14(2):119‐30. - PubMed
Copeman 1958 {published data only}
    1. Copeman PW. Treatment of recurrent styes. Lancet 1958;2(7049):728‐9. - PubMed
Gao 2001 {published data only}
    1. Gao Q. Treatment of hordeolum by wrist‐ankle acupuncture. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2001;20(5):19.
Garrett 1988 {published data only}
    1. Garrett GW, Gillespie ME, Mannix BC. Adrenocorticosteroid injection vs. conservative therapy in the treatment of chalazia. Annals of Ophthalmology 1988;20(5):196‐8. - PubMed
Gordon 1970 {published data only}
    1. Gordon DM. Gentamicin sulfate in external eye infections. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1970;69(2):300‐6. - PubMed
Hatano 1969 {published data only}
    1. Hatano H, Saito T, Takahashi N. Ophthalmological application of minocycline. Japanese Journal of Antibiotics 1969;22(6):522‐5. - PubMed
Hatano 1974 {published data only}
    1. Hatano H, Tokuda H, Kayaba C. Evaluation of amikacin (BB‐K8) in ophthalmological field. Japanese Journal of Antibiotics 1974;27(4):451‐5. - PubMed
Hirunwiwatkul 2005 {published and unpublished data}
    1. Hirunwiwatkul P, Wachirasereechai K. Effectiveness of combined antibiotic ophthalmic solution in the treatment of hordeolum after incision and curettage: a randomized, placebo‐controlled trial: a pilot study. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 2005;88(5):647‐50. - PubMed
Jacobs 1984 {published data only}
    1. Jacobs PM, Thaller VT, Wong D. Intralesional corticosteroid therapy of chalazia: a comparison with incision and curettage. British Journal of Ophthalmology 1984;68(11):836‐7. - PMC - PubMed
Kastl 1987 {published data only}
    1. Kastl PR, Ali Z, Mather F. Placebo‐controlled, double‐blind evaluation of the efficacy and safety of yellow mercuric oxide in suppression of eyelid infections. Annals of Ophthalmology 1987;19(10):376‐9. - PubMed
Laibson 1981 {published data only}
    1. Laibson P, Michaud R, Smolin G, Okumoto M, Rosenthal A, Cagle G. A clinical comparison of tobramycin and gentamicin sulfate in the treatment of ocular infections. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1981;92(6):836‐41. - PubMed
Magnuson 1967 {published data only}
    1. Magnuson RH, Suie T. Gentamicin sulfate in external eye infections. JAMA 1967;199(6):427‐8. - PubMed
Manabe 1981 {published data only}
    1. Manabe R, Moriyama H, Suda T. A double‐blind study of tobramycin eye drops on infectious diseases of anterior portion of the eye. Comparison with gentamicin eye drops. Folia Ophthalmologica Japonica 1981;32(4):1041‐65.
Mathew 1966 {published data only}
    1. Mathew M. Munomycin in hordeolum externum. Indian Practitioner 1966;19(10):689‐90. - PubMed
NCT01763437 {published data only}
    1. NCT01763437. Intralesional tetracycline injection in the treatment of chalazia (TET). clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01763437 (accessed 9 December 2016).
NCT02338648 {published data only}
    1. NCT02338648. Safety and efficacy study of SUN 131 TDS as compared to placebo TDS in adult patients with a chalazion. clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02338648 (accessed 9 December 2016).
Oishi 1973 {published data only}
    1. Oishi M, Imai M, Takahashi T, Motoyama M, Tanaka M. Clinical evaluation of clindamycin‐2‐palmitate for ophthalmic infections of children. Japanese Journal of Antibiotics 1973;26(6):535‐9. - PubMed
Panda 1987 {published data only}
    1. Panda A, Angra SK. Intralesional corticosteroid therapy of chalazia. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 1987;35(4):183‐5. - PubMed
Sawae 1971 {published data only}
    1. Sawae Y, Inoue H, Shiraishi M, Fujimura T, Takemori K. Laboratory and clinical evaluation of clindamycin. Japanese Journal of Antibiotics 1971;24(2):51‐8. - PubMed
Takama 2006 {published data only}
    1. Takama N, Fujiwara T. The efficacy of hainou‐san‐kyu‐to for internal hordeolum. Ganka Rinsho Iho (Japanese Review of Clinical Ophthalmology) 2006;100:9‐11.
Vácha 1987 {published data only}
    1. Vácha J, Bodnár M. Kenalog injection－one possibility in the treatment of chronic chalazion. Ceskoslovenska Oftalmologie 1987;43(5):374‐6. - PubMed
Wang 1983 {published data only}
    1. Wang TM. Treatment of tarsal cyst by local injection of cortisone. Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi (Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology) 1983;19(3):168‐9. - PubMed
Watson 1984 {published data only}
    1. Watson AP, Austin DJ. Treatment of chalazions with injection of a steroid suspension. British Journal of Ophthalmology 1984;68(11):833‐5. - PMC - PubMed
Willcox 2008 {published data only}
    1. Willcox M, Bengaly T, Lopez V, Falquet J, Lambert B, Diallo D. Traditional malian ointment for styes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2008;14(5):461‐4. - PubMed
Xu 2004 {published data only}
    1. Xu W. Clinical observation on 67 cases of hordeolum treated by acupuncture and blood letting on ear. Hunan Guiding Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2004;10(5):47.

Additional references

Avisar 1991
    1. Avisar R, Savir H, Deutsch D, Teller J. Effect of I‐Scrub on signs and symptoms of chronic blepharitis. DICP: the Annals of Pharmacotherapy 1991;25(4):359‐60. - PubMed
Barza 1983
    1. Barza M, Baum J. Ocular infections. Medical Clinics of North America 1983;67(1):131‐52. - PubMed
Cheng 2014
    1. Cheng K, Wang X, Guo M, Wieland LS, Shen X, Lao L. Acupuncture for acute hordeolum. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 4. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011075] - DOI - PMC - PubMed
De Jesus 2004
    1. Jesus JM. Treating hordeola with systemic medications: first‐line therapy with oral antibiotics for the treatment of hordeola may provide a more permanent resolution. Pacific Optometry. www.opt.pacificu.edu/test/journal/Articles/deJesus%20hordeola/hordeola.html (accessed 4 June 2008).
Deeks 2011
    1. Deeks JJ, Higgins JP, Altman DG editor(s). Chapter 9: Analysing data and undertaking meta‐analyses. In: Higgins JP, Green S editor(s). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 (updated March 2011). The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011. Available from handbook.cochrane.org.
Diegel 1986
    1. Diegel JT. Eyelid problems. Blepharitis, hordeola, and chalazia. Postgraduate Medicine 1986;80(2):271‐2. - PubMed
Driver 1996
    1. Driver PJ, Lemp MA. Meibomian gland dysfunction. Survey of Ophthalmology 1996;40(5):343‐67. - PubMed
Fraunfelder 1971
    1. Fraunfelder FT, Roy FH. How to treat common external eye problems. American Family Physician 1971;3(4):104‐9. - PubMed
Fuchs 1911
    1. Fuchs E. Textbook of Ophthalmology. JB Lippincott Company, 1911.
Glanville 2006
    1. Glanville JM, Lefebvre C, Miles JN, Camosso‐Stefinovic J. How to identify randomized controlled trials in MEDLINE: ten years on. Journal of the Medical Library Association 2006;94(2):130‐6. - PMC - PubMed
Higgins 2011
    1. Higgins JP, Altman DG, Sterne JAC editor(s). Chapter 8: Assessing risk of bias in included studies. In: Higgins JP, Green S editor(s). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 (updated March 2011). The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011. Available from handbook.cochrane.org.
Hudson 1981
    1. Hudson RL. Treatment of styes and meibomian cysts. Practical procedures. Australian Family Physician 1981;10(9):714‐5. - PubMed
King 1986
    1. King RA, Ellis PP. Treatment of chalazia with corticosteroid injections. Ophthalmic Surgery 1986;17(6):351‐3. - PubMed
Lebensohn 1950
    1. Lebensohn JE. Treatment of hordeola. Postgraduate Medicine 1950;7(2):133. - PubMed
Lederman 1999
    1. Lederman C, Miller M. Hordeola and chalazia. Pediatrics in Review 1999;20(8):283‐4. - PubMed
McCulley 1984
    1. McCulley JP. Blepharoconjunctivitis. International Ophthalmology Clinics 1984;24(2):65‐77. - PubMed
Moriarty 1982
    1. Moriarty PA, Collin JR. Eyelid problems. Practitioner 1982;226(1367):901‐23. - PubMed
Mueller 2008
    1. Mueller JB, McStay CM. Ocular infection and inflammation. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America 2008;26(1):57‐72. - PubMed
Olson 1991
    1. Olson MD. The common stye. Journal of School Health 1991;61(2):95‐7. - PubMed
Palva 1983
    1. Palva J, Pohjanpelto PEJ. Intralesional corticosteroid injection for the treatment of chalazia. Acta Ophthalmologica 1983;61(5):933‐7. - PubMed
Panicharoen 2011
    1. Panicharoen C, Hirunwiwatkul P. Current pattern treatment of hordeolum by ophthalmologists in Thailand. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 2011;94(6):721‐4. - PubMed
Peralejo 2008
    1. Peralejo B, Beltrani V, Bielory L. Dermatologic and allergic conditions of the eyelid. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America 2008;28(1):137‐68. - PubMed
RevMan 2014 [Computer program]
    1. Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration. Review Manager (RevMan). Version 5.3. Copenhagen: Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014.
Roodyn 1954
    1. Roodyn L. Staphylococcal infections in general practice. British Medical Journal 1954;2(4900):1322‐5. - PMC - PubMed
Rubin 1995
    1. Rubin S, Hallagan L. Lids, lacrimals, and lashes. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America 1995;13(3):631‐48. - PubMed
Scobee 1942
    1. Scobee RG. The role of the meibomian glands in recurrent conjunctivitis. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1942;25:184‐92.
Sethuraman 2009
    1. Sethuraman U, Kamat D. The red eye: evaluation and management. Clinical Pediatrics 2009;48(6):588‐600. - PubMed
Skorin 2002
    1. Skorin L. Hordeolum and chalazion treatment: the full gamut. Optometry Today 2002, issue June 28:25‐7.
Wald 2004
    1. Wald ER. Periorbital and orbital infections. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America 2004;25(9):312‐20. - PubMed
Wilkie 1956
    1. Wilkie JL. Styes. Practitioner 1956;176(1053):318‐21. - PubMed

References to other published versions of this review

Lindsley 2010
    1. Lindsley K, Nichols JJ, Dickersin K. Interventions for acute internal hordeolum. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 9. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007742.pub2] - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Lindsley 2013
    1. Lindsley K, Nichols JJ, Dickersin K. Interventions for acute internal hordeolum. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 4. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007742.pub3] - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types