Sty

sty, also spelled stye, also called hordeolum, acute painful modular infection of one or more glands of the eyelid. Two types are distinguished: the external sty and the internal sty.

The external sty is an infection, usually with Staphylococcus bacteria, of a sebaceous gland in the margin of the eyelid. The eye becomes sensitive to light, tears flow copiously, and there is a sensation of a foreign body in the eye. The area of infection is at first reddened and then swollen like a pimple or small boil. The breaking of the sty and the discharge of its contents are hastened by application of warm compresses.

An internal sty results from inflammation of a meibomian gland, one of the modified sebaceous glands that lie close to the eyeball along the margin of the eyelids. It may be caused by an infectious (i.e., staphylococcal) or noninfectious process. Internal sties can be more painful than external sties because they are pressed between the eyeball and the fibrous plate—called the tarsal plate—in the lid. This type of sty is sometimes called a chalazion, although the latter term is usually reserved for a painless chronic swelling of the meibomian gland. A chalazion sometimes appears without apparent cause and sometimes as an aftereffect of an internal sty.

Both internal sties and chalazions are treated with warm compresses and massage to try to express their contents. Large, persistent, or particularly bothersome sties and chalazions may require surgical incision and drainage. Often an underlying chronic inflammation or infection of the eyelid margin (such as blepharitis) must be treated in order to prevent recurrence of sties.