Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a contraindication for most cornea-based refractive surgery techniques, including conventional or wavefront Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, PRK, LASEK, and Epi-Lasik, unless the blepharitis is very mild and/or is fully under control. Blepharitis is a consideration for CK, P-IOL, and RLE, but does not seem to be as critical.

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. It is a very common condition that can be associated with a low grade bacterial infection (staphylococcal blepharitis) or a generalized skin condition (seborrheic blepharitis). Blepharitis is seen most commonly in adults.

Factors believed to contribute to blepharitis include abnormalities in oil gland function and an alteration in bacterial colonies that normally live on the skin. Blepharitis is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another.

People with blepharitis will have red eyelid margins and persistent ocular irritation, however there are other ocular problems that will have similar symptoms. An ophthalmologist can help definitively diagnose this condition by careful examination of the eyelid margins. In some instances, dry eye symptoms and underlying skin conditions can be associated with blepharitis.

The inflammation around the eyelids characteristic of blepharitis can be improved by increased lid hygiene. Gently scrubbing the eyelid margins with baby shampoo diluted with water can decrease the amount of flaking skin and oil in the area. A cotton tipped applicator or a washcloth wrapped around the index finger can be used to apply the shampoo.

Warm compresses applied to the lids for several minutes a day can also be helpful. In some select cases, your ophthalmologist may also choose to prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drop. Restasis is a cyclosporine eye drop that has been shown to be very helpful for blepharitis.

Blepharitis is a chronic condition that often requires long-term treatment in order to prevent exacerbations.

If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, NearVision CK, RLE, or any refractive surgery procedure, we highly recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified by the USAEyes nonprofit organization. Locate a USAEyes Evaluated & Certified Lasik Laser Eye Surgery Doctor.

If this article did not fully answer your questions, use our free Ask Lasik Expert patient forum.

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Current Blepharitis and Lasik Medical Journal News...

Therapy for Actinomycosis in the Lacrimal Pathway.

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Therapy for Actinomycosis in the Lacrimal Pathway.

Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2010 Jul;227(7):568-574

Authors: Vujančević S, Meyer-Rüsenberg HW

Canaliculitis is a rare disease of the lacrimal pathway, especially of the canaliculi. It is often not identified, therefore misdiagnosed and inadequately treated. It accounts 2 % of all lacrimal diseases . False diagnoses are usually conjunctivitis , blepharitis , dacryocystitis , hordeolum and chalazion . Besides viruses and fungi a variety of bacteria can cause a canaliculitis. Actinomyces is the most common pathogenic agent of canaliculitis . Its generic name was first described by Harz in 1877 . In 1854 von Graefe as well as Kipp and others in 1883 identified actinomyces as the agent for intracanalicular dacryoliths. Although for years actinomyces has wrongly been attributed to ray fungi because of its filamentary and branched nature it actually belongs to facultative anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, non-acid-fast, pleomorphic bacilli . In the context of canaliculitis caused by actinomyces sulphur granules, also called plagues or actinomyces granules, can often be found in the affected canaliculi . Actinomyces can be identified by light microscopy, culture, biochemical and molecular biological procedures. The most appropriate treatment is to incise the lacrimal punctum, to perform a canaliculotomy and canalicular curettage and if necessary to perform a silicone intubation of the lacrimal system for prophylaxis of stenosis. A postoperative local therapy with a broad-spectrum antibiotic should be initiated for 1 - 2 weeks.

PMID: 20645230 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]