[Blepharitis - When to Perform Surgery?]

Meibomian gland dysfunction/blepharitis is usually a harmless inflammatory process of the lid margin. However, it can be the first sign of a malignant lesion. Patients/Results: Clinical and histological findings are illustrated for 8 patients with changes in the lid margin and with the differential diagnosis of blepharitis.

Tumours of the lid margin can mimic blepharitis or induce meibomian gland dysfunction. Conversely, blepharitis can present in a nodular form, which is highly indicative of a neoplasm. In these cases, surgical excision with ophthalmopathological evaluation of the tissue is mandatory, in order to reach the correct diagnosis and to treat the patient appropriately.