AIM: 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. CONCLUSION: 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. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
AIM: 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. CONCLUSION: 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. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.