Subcutaneous steroid injection as treatment for chalazion: prospective case series.

OBJECTIVE To study the efficacy of subcutaneous steroid injection in the treatment of chalazion. DESIGN Prospective consecutive case series. SETTING University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS Patients with chalazion presenting to the out-patient clinic of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Prince of Wales Hospital from January to June 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Size of the chalazion after steroid injection treatment. RESULTS Forty-eight consecutive patients with chalazion were treated with injection of triamcinolone into the subcutaneous tissue around the lesion. In 43 (89.6%) patients, the lesion subsided completely. Twenty-six (54.2%) patients had lesions that subsided with one injection. The size and duration of the chalazion at presentation did not significantly affect the outcome of the treatment. Two patients developed depigmentation of the skin at the site of injection. No other major complications were encountered. CONCLUSION Subcutaneous injection of the steroid triamcinolone acetonide appears to be a simple and effective treatment for chalazion. Further comparative clinical trials are indicated.