Prevalence Of Demodex Blepharitis Among Patients With Chalazia And/Or Hordeola
Published 2026 - 44th Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: POCOR529 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/36mv-4j59
Authors: Dr Mark F Pyfer* 1 , Prof. Oliver Findl 2 , Dr Kellie Satterfield 3 , Dr Usiwoma Abugo 4 , Dr Mitchell Shultz 5 , Dr Alanna Nattis 6 , Dr Bhagyashree Oak 7 , Dr Elizabeth Yeu 8 , Dr Reza Moradi 9
1Wills Eye Hospital,Philadelphia, PA,United States;Northern Ophthalmic Associates,Jenkintown, PA,United States, 2Ophthalmology,Hanusch Hospital,Vienna,Austria, 3San Diego Eye & Face,San Diego, CA,United States, 4Katzen Eye Group,Abingdon, MD,United States, 5Shultz Chang Vision,Northridge, CA,United States, 6SightMD,Babylon, NY,United States, 7Trinity Life Sciences,Waltham, MA,United States, 8Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc,Irvine, CA,United States, 9Eyeconic Medical,Newport Beach, CA,United States
Purpose
To assess the prevalence of Demodex blepharitis (DB), identified by collarettes as its pathognomonic sign, in children and adult patients presenting with chalazia and/or hordeola.
Setting
Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with chalazia or hordeola.
Methods
This multicenter, retrospective chart review included children and adult patients who were diagnosed with chalazia and/or hordeola in the prior 12 months and were also evaluated for collarettes. Demographic information, lesion characteristics of the chalazion/hordeolum (count, duration, and recurrence), and the presence or absence of collarettes were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographics and clinical characteristics, and exploratory comparisons were conducted where applicable.
Results
In total, 83 patients were evaluated. Among patients with chalazia and/or hordeola, 71% (59/83) were found to have Demodex blepharitis. The mean age was 45.9 ± 19.3 years, and 65% were female. Chalazia were present in 94% (78/83) of patients, and 6% (5/83) had hordeola. Both right and left eyes were similarly affected. Patients with chalazia had a mean (SD) of 1 (0.2) chalazion for a median of 10 days, with nearly half (49%) lasting 1-7 days. Patients with hordeola had a mean (SD) of 1 (0.2) hordeolum for a median of 5 days, with 60% lasting 1-5 days. Among patients with recurrent chalazia (9%; n=7), the prevalence of DB was 86% (6/7) and with a mean of 1.7 recurrences over the preceding 12 months.
Conclusions
In the present study, among patients with chalazia and/or hordeola, 71% were found to have Demodex blepharitis. Although the subgroup with recurrent chalazia was small, the prevalence of DB was significantly higher (86%) than seen in patients with primary chalazia. These findings suggest DB may be common in chalazion and/or hordeolum cases and highlight the potential value of routine evaluation and treatment.