Question:
I have tiny bumps or skin patches on the upper and lower eyelid. There is redness at times and the eyelid almost always itches and sometimes burns. Have some relief with Burt's Bees eye cream. Can you tell me what this condition is and offer possible treatment?
Answer:
If these lesions are discreet bumps and multiple they are most likely to be a benign growths related to various glands or follicles in the skin. Milia are multiple white firm lesions that result from occlusion of the glands associated with hair follicles. Other types of cysts are epidermal inclusion cysts, eccrine sweat gland cysts and pilar cysts. These are not usually associated with redness and itching and treatment is excision. Viral infection such as molluscum contagiosum in children or papillomatosis in adults are also possible. These are also treated by excision. You mention patches that are associated with itching. This is quite different from bumps. Patches would be flatter and more spread out and may or may not be raised rather than discreet round bumps. If the lesions look more like flattish slightly raised "patches" then a very likely diagnosis is dermatitis either from contact to something or allergy. The treatment for this would be either a steroid or non-steroidal ointment. This condition requires a full evaluation by an Eye M.D. 
Answered by:
Gary Hirshfield, MD
Categories: Eye Conditions;
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