Sebaceous gland carcinoma looks like bleph or a chalazion and misdiagnosed?

[tiff]

Hello,

My father, who is 65 and has rosacea and ocular rosacea, has had a reddish swollen and slightly painful bump on his lower eyelid for several months now. He saw a general practitioner who gave him an antibiotic ointment. It slightly improved, but came back worse and he saw an optho. This eye doc gave him an ointment with polymixin and a few other actives and said to see him again in 3 weeks. I'm wondering after doing a google image search if he could have sebaceous gland carcinoma since it looks like many of the photos. Any idea on how to tell the difference before his next appointment in 3 weeks? I'm nervous.

Thanks.

[littlemermaid]

http://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/eyefor...-chalazion.htm Awesome website at University of Iowa. 'Chalazion: Acute presentation and recurrence in a 4-year-old female', Justin Kuiper, BA, Jesse M. Vislisel, MD, Thomas A. Oetting, MD, University of Iowa, August 2014 - some detail on what a carcinoma might look like compared to a cyst/chalazion. Our GP says feel whether it's a hard lump that doesn't move much, or squashy moveable. Biopsy, I guess. It'll be fine either way in good hands - love from us x

[tiff]

Thanks for that link, littlemermaid I saw my father today and the issues has not improved at all with two weeks of treatment. He sees the doc next wednesday and I will strongly suggest he get a biopsy. Is a hard lump that doesn't move a chalazion or carcinoma? Hope you all are well

[tiff]

Doc told him it's not sebaceous gland carcinoma and said to continue on topical meds for another 3 weeks. He did not take a biopsy. To me, it looks as though nothing has changed in its size or level of pinkness, but the doc told my dad that the inner side of this "cyst" is getting smaller. This makes no sense to me, but I guess we will see what he says in 2 weeks.

[littlemermaid]

Good news, and thanks for letting us know. Maybe it'll take some time to clear up. Yeah, we all have trust issues... But at least an ophthalmologist is monitoring him. Here's a useful Review of Optometry general article on eyelids, just in case useful for anyone http://www.reviewofoptometry.com/content/c/53458/ I can appreciate that if it's a cyst an ophthalmologist wouldn't want to hurt him by poking about, particulary with his age, but I think if I had any doubts, and, as you say, there's no change after treatment, I'd go for second opinion pronto.

[tiff]

Well the other day he went back to the doc, he numbed his eyelid, inverted it, and cut out the clogged part from the inside with an incision. It is still rather pink, and my dad hasn't inverted his lower eyelid to check on it, but says it seems to be getting slightly better. I'll check out your link now as I'm dealing with some clogged glands on my lower lid (not on the margin like his was) presently. Thanks!

[littlemermaid]

Awesome. That's a relief. Thanks for letting us know. Hope he is comfortable now. Do you think he has methods of cleaning his eyes? Junior definitely finds a warm shower easiest now she's older, even though she has to do close cleaning occasionally to keep her eyes good if the eyelash bases are crusted. We still like the warm eyebags.