Intense Pulsed Light for Chalazion: A Single-Arm Prospective Cohort Study of 61 Patients

Chalazion is a common eyelid disorder with limitations in existing treatment options. While intense pulsed light (IPL) has shown potential in treating meibomian gland dysfunction, its efficacy for chalazion requires further validation. This study aimed to describe clinical outcomes after IPL for chalazion and to identify factors associated with lesion resolution.

This was a single-center, single-arm prospective cohort study. Sixty-one patients with chalazion were enrolled and received weekly IPL treatment. Follow-up was conducted 1 week after each session, and the primary outcome was assessed at the ≥1-week visit after the final IPL session. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and elastic net-penalized logistic regression were used to analyze treatment outcomes and associated factors.

The overall lesion resolution rate after IPL treatment was 77.0% [47/61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 65.1-85.8%]. Chi-square analyses showed that symptom duration (p < 0.001) and the number of IPL sessions (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with lesion resolution. In Elastic Net-penalized logistic regression, compared with a single IPL session, two sessions [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.685; 95% CI, 1.000-73.950] and ≥3 sessions [aOR 40.844; 95% CI, 1.897-247.637] were associated with higher odds of resolution. Compared with symptom duration >30 days, symptom duration ≤7 days [aOR 21.101; 95% CI, 3.305-706.384] and 8-30 days [aOR 3.430; 95% CI, 1.000-57.852] was associated with higher odds of treatment success. Overall model performance was acceptable (fivefold cross-validated area under the curve = 0.887). No serious adverse events occurred.

In this single-arm prospective cohort, IPL treatment was associated with a 77.0% lesion resolution rate. Because spontaneous resolution of chalazia is common and the study lacked a control group, these observational findings cannot establish causality, and controlled trials are warranted.