Interventions for acute internal hordeolum

Hordeolum is a common, painful, inflammation of the eyelid margin that is usually caused by a bacterial infection. The infection affects the oil glands within the eyelid and can be internal or external. In many cases, the inflamed lesion drains spontaneously and resolves untreated; however, the infection can spread to other ocular glands or tissues and recurrences are common. If unresolved, acute internal hordeolum can become chronic or develop into a chalazion (cyst). External hordeola are known more commonly as styes and were not included in the scope of this review. It is common practice to use one or several interventions for the treatment of hordeolum, including warm compresses applied at home, topical medications and lid scrubs available over-the-counter, antibiotics or steroids, lid massages, and others. There were no trials identified for inclusion in this review, thus no evidence for or against the effectiveness of non-surgical interventions for the treatment of hordeolum was found. Controlled clinical trials would be useful in determining which interventions are effective for the treatment of acute internal hordeolum.