Managing clinical conditions: Chalazion and preseptal cellulitis

Philadelphia-Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, and Jill Autry, OD, RPh, shared clinical management pearls with attendees at the American Optometric Association’s Optometry’s Meeting.

Consider steroid or injection in treatment of chalazion.

“The pressing down on the cornea sometimes becomes the main reason we remove chalazia,” says Dr. Karpecki.

“With more ophthalmologists in the office, I would do more injections,” says Dr. Autry. “About 50 percent of the time, they would do fine. In general, patients are more happy to try this route than surgery. Permanent discoloration may be a concern in patients of color.”

Preseptal cellulitis often follows acute hordeolum

With children undergoing treatment for conjunctivitis, be careful of a red sheen around the eye. It's an early sign of preseptal cellulitis with H. influenzae. “Any reddish sheen is enough to continue treating systemically with oral medications and take a temperature.ODT