Felis ISSN 2398-2950

Blepharitis

Introduction

• Cause: generalized skin disease, eg parasitic, bacterial, fungal, allergic or immune mediated.
• Signs: inflamed eyelids, ocular discharge.
• Diagnosis: signs, bacteriology, skin scraping, Wood's lamp examination.
• Treatment: often need systemic antibiotics +/- warm compresses.
• Prognosis: self-trauma is common complication; Staphylococcal blepharitis can be difficult to resolve.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

Parasitic

• Sarcoptic mange Sarcoptic mange which is sometimes pruritic.
• Demodectic mange Parasitic skin disease: overview rare and generally non-pruritic.

Fungal infection

• Microsporum canis (ringworm) Dermatophytosis often non-pruritc.

Bacterial

• Bacterial blepharitis with exudate and erythema and pruritus (may be chronic) - often associated with Staphylococcus spp Staphylococcus spp.
• Hordeolum (external stye).
• Chalazion (internal stye).

Allergic

• Characterized by eosinophilic or mast cell infiltration
  • Atopy Skin: atopic dermatitis.
  • Food Food hypersensitivity.
  • Contact Skin: allergic contact dermatitis.
  • Drugs Drug eruption.
  • Flea allergic dermatitis Flea bite hypersensitivity. 

Immune-mediated

• Pemphigus diseases Skin: pemphigus erythematosus.

Traumatic

• Actinic damage Dermatitis: solar (sunburn) leading to squamous cell carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma     .
• Burns may also affect ear tips and nose Burns.

Pathophysiology

• Underlying skin disease or infection (Staphylococcus spp Staphylococcus spp often isolated)   →   inflammation of eyelids. If abscess formation may   →   cicatricial entropion or ectropion .
• Many possible etiologies.

Timecourse

• Depends on cause.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Outcomes