Question

A 34 year-old patient presents to your office with a chief complaint of redness and irritation of his eyelids and his eyelashes occasionally sticking together. Upon biomicroscopy, you notice hyperemic and greasy eyelid margins, and soft scales scattered along the eyelid margins and eyelashes. What is the MOST likely diagnosis of this patient's symptoms?

-Angular blepharitis
-Staphylococcal blepharitis
-Bacterial conjunctivitis
-Meibomian gland dysfunction
-Seborrheic blepharitis

Answer 1

The patient's symptoms are most consistent with seborrheic blepharitis, which is characterized by redness, irritation, and dandruff-like scales on the eyelid margins and eyelashes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's symptoms of redness and irritation of the eyelids with occasional sticking together of the eyelashes, along with the presence of hyperemic and greasy eyelid margins and soft scales on the eyelid margins and eyelashes, are most consistent with seborrheic blepharitis.

Blepharitis refers to inflammation of the eyelids. Seborrheic blepharitis is a common type of blepharitis that is characterized by redness, irritation, and dandruff-like scales on the eyelid margins and eyelashes. It is often associated with an overgrowth of yeast on the skin.

Other types of blepharitis, such as staphylococcal blepharitis and angular blepharitis, may present with different symptoms and signs, but based on the given description, seborrheic blepharitis is the most likely diagnosis.