chalazion

DEFINITION of chalazion

Chalazion form when the meibomian glands — sebaceous glands embedded in the tarsal plates of the eyelid that secrete the oily layer of the tear film — become blocked. The retained secretions leak into surrounding tissue, triggering a localized, non-infectious lipogranulomatous inflammatory response. The result is a slow-growing, firm, painless nodule within the eyelid. Unlike a hordeolum (stye), chalazia are typically not infectious, are not tender to palpation once mature, and are not accompanied by systemic symptoms. They may resolve spontaneously, or may require treatment including warm compresses, steroid injections, or incision and curettage (I&C). Recurrent chalazion warrant biopsy to rule out sebaceous gland carcinoma.

A chalazion is a non-infectious, inflammatory lipogranuloma arising from retained secretions of a blocked meibomian gland (or occasionally a Zeis gland) within the tarsal plate of the eyelid. Unlike a hordeolum (stye), it is not caused by acute infection. The obstruction leads to rupture of the gland, releasing lipid material into surrounding tissue and triggering a chronic foreign-body granulomatous reaction. It typically presents as a firm, painless, slow-growing nodule on the upper or lower eyelid. It may cause mechanical ptosis or astigmatism if large enough to press on the globe.

Treatment ranges from warm compresses and lid massage, to steroid injection, to surgical incision and curettage (I&C).

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ETYMOLOGY of chalazion

greek - From Greek χάλαζα (chalaza) — meaning “hailstone” or “small lump”

• Reflects the hard, round nodular appearance of the lesion
• Plural: chalazia (Greek) or colloquially chalazions
• The term “chalazion” is the Latinized form of the Greek word khalazion, a diminutive of khalaza, meaning “hail, hailstone; small lump or knot; pimple,” referring to the small, hard lump‑like feel in the eyelid.​
  The word has been in medical use in English since the early 1700s, and is related to “chalaza” and “chalazal” (terms used in other biological contexts but sharing the same root idea of a small knot or lump).
  Modern dictionaries trace the origin as “1700-10; < Greek, diminutive of chálaza ‘chalaza’.”​

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CODING AND NUANCES

ICD-10-CM Codes

Code	Description
H00.11	Chalazion, right upper eyelid
H00.12	Chalazion, right lower eyelid
H00.13	Chalazion, right eye, unspecified eyelid
H00.14	Chalazion, left upper eyelid
H00.15	Chalazion, left lower eyelid
H00.16	Chalazion, left eye, unspecified eyelid
H00.19	Chalazion, unspecified eye, unspecified eyelid

⚠️ Note: These codes are 5 characters — ICD-10-CM does not extend them further. All are valid for HIPAA transactions. Always code to the highest level of specificity; query for laterality and eyelid position (upper vs. lower) whenever possible.

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CPT Codes (Procedural)

CPT	Description
67800	Excision of chalazion; single
67801	Excision of chalazion; multiple, same lid
67805	Excision of chalazion; multiple, different lids
67808	Excision of chalazion; under general anesthesia and/or requiring hospitalization, single or multiple
67700	Blepharotomy, drainage of abscess, eyelid (used for I&D rather than excision)

Coding Tips:

• 67800-67808 are unilateral codes — use eyelid modifier (-E1--E4) to specify the lid
• Bilateral single chalazia → 67800 with modifier -50
• One from upper lid + one from lower lid, same eye → 67801
• Different lids, different eyes → 67805
• 67840 (excision of eyelid lesion) explicitly excludes chalazion — do not use for this diagnosis

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DERIVATIONS of chalazion

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Query functionality

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WHERE length(filter(definition, (word) => econtains([[]].definition, word))) > 0 AND file.name != [[]].file.name

Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms