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A Bump On Your Eyelid – what does it mean?

6/9/2014

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If you have a bump on your eyelid and it is new, chances are it is probably a benign lesion, like a chalazion, skin tag or stye.  If you have noticed, however, that the bump has been slowly enlarging over time, or if you have recurrent chalazia or styes on the same eyelid not involving the other eyelids, you should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist to make sure that it is not something more serious. 

There are many tumors that can affect the eyelids.  Some of the more common and serious tumors are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and sebaceous gland carcinoma.  Most of the “dangerous” eyelid tumors occur in fair-skinned patients, who have a history of sun exposure.  There is often a loss of eyelashes at the site of the lesion. 

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common tumor affecting the eyelids, accounting for about 85% of all eyelid tumors. It is often located on the lower eyelid and looks like a “pearly” nodule that is non-tender.  Squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid often presents as a raised bump on the lower eyelid with an associated loss of eyelashes.  Sebaceous gland carcinoma can often masquerade as chronic inflammation of the eyelids, as seen with blepharitis or recurrent styes or chalazia on the same eyelid.  This potentially lethal tumor is especially worrisome, as it may be undiagnosed for years and it can spread to other parts of the eye and body.  Malignant melanoma is a darkly pigmented area or bump on the eyelid, although some may not be pigmented.  They are common in fair skinned individuals who enjoy being out in the sun, and account for the many of the deaths related to eyelid tumors.

If you have noticed an eyelid bump and are not sure what it is, not to worry.  Make an appointment with your ophthalmologist today, who can examine it and perhaps even biopsy or remove it. The worst thing that you can do for yourself is ignore it, so please, get it checked out!


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Need To Reach For Your Reading Glasses To Read This? - Symptoms of Presbyopia

6/3/2014

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Many of you had to reach for your readings glasses before reading this article.  If you are in your early to mid forties, you may be starting to develop the symptoms of presbyopia,  and like many of my patients,  you are probably not too happy with the idea of reaching for a pair of reading glasses.  Presbyopia is the inability to focus at near due to aging changes in the muscles of the eye and the natural lens.

There are solutions to correcting presbyopia other than wearing reading glasses.  Interesting surgical options, such as the Restor intraocular lens implant, are reasonable if you have cataracts.  For those of you who do not have cataracts, you make consider getting fit for contact lenses in one or both eyes, to help with your near vision.  If you already wear contact lenses for near sightedness, you may need an adjustment in the power to allow you to read more comfortably. You could also be a candidate for monovision with contacts or with lasik, in which your non-dominant eye is corrected for near vision and your dominant eye is corrected for distance vision.  Monovision is not for everyone, so it is important to try it with contacts before committing to it. Bifocal contact lenses are another suitable option even if you have never worn contacts before. If you are not opposed to wearing reading glasses, sometimes over-the-counter readers is all you need. Its important to schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist who can review your surgical and non-surgical options and get you reading 20/20 again.

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    Author

    Dr. Patel is currently Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Northern Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology and the Virginia Society of Ophthalmology. She is currently seeing patients in the Vienna, VA area with general ophthalmic conditions, corneal disease, cosmetic needs, dry eye and laser vision correction candidates.

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