I F Wessels1, G F Wessels. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, Loma Linda University, CA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chalazia are not uncommon in children. If conservative therapy for them fails, incision and drainage are necessary and usually require a general anesthetic, which increases costs and risks. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five children (3 to 8 years old) had a eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine applied to the skin of the eyelid for 1 hour. Then local anesthetic was injected into the same site. RESULTS: The local anesthetic injection was painless, permitting successful incision and drainage in all cases. CONCLUSION: Lidocaine-prilocaine cream permits local anesthetic injection into the eyelids, facilitating office-based management of chalazia in children.
BACKGROUND: Chalazia are not uncommon in children. If conservative therapy for them fails, incision and drainage are necessary and usually require a general anesthetic, which increases costs and risks. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five children (3 to 8 years old) had a eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine applied to the skin of the eyelid for 1 hour. Then local anesthetic was injected into the same site. RESULTS: The local anesthetic injection was painless, permitting successful incision and drainage in all cases. CONCLUSION:Lidocaine-prilocaine cream permits local anesthetic injection into the eyelids, facilitating office-based management of chalazia in children.