Contents
Any wen on the face, even if it is small in size, attracts increased attention from others. A fatty tumor on the upper or lower eyelid is very unaesthetic and often becomes the basis for complexes. Therefore, most owners of such imperfections want to get rid of them as soon as possible, fortunately, modern medicine provides an opportunity to do this quickly and almost painlessly.
A wen is a benign formation that almost never undergoes malignancy (degeneration into a malignant tumor). However, some types of wen tend to grow gradually and over time can reach large sizes – up to 3 or more centimeters in diameter. Of course, this leads to serious disturbances in the functioning of the visual apparatus, not to mention discomfort and cosmetic defects. In addition, a wen on the eyelid can become inflamed if pathogenic microbes are damaged and ingested. All these are additional arguments in favor of a visit to the doctor and removal of the wen.
A wen on the eyelid very rarely becomes a source of pain, but a large formation can provoke a constant sensation of a foreign body in the eye or pressure on the eyeball. Small wen on the eyelids seem to people a frivolous problem, for which it makes no sense to go to the doctor, so many are trying to get rid of the annoying defect on their own. The result is often suppuration and an even greater growth of the wen. However, let’s first figure out what kind of pathology can be hidden behind the everyday term “wen on the eye.”
Zhirovik on the eyelid – what is it?
On the eyelids and in the corners of the eyes, the following types of fatty formations can occur:
Milium – a very dense, tiny white ball, located under the uppermost layer of the skin and filled with a thick sebaceous secret mixed with keratin. It is found both in a single copy and in bulk. For its characteristic appearance, it is often called a “millet” rather than a wen. It is impossible to remove milia by squeezing, like acne. And attempts to pierce the skin on their own and remove the solid fatty nodule outward often fail and lead to infection of the wound;
Xanthelasma – a flat yellow plaque of a rounded or irregular shape, slightly rising above the surface of the skin. To the touch, such a wen is soft and painless, the contents are loose. Xanthelasma are the result of disorders of cholesterol metabolism and serve as markers of severe cardiovascular pathologies – atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction. Also, their presence may indicate problems with the gallbladder and liver, including cirrhosis. Xanthelasmas occur most often in women over 50 years of age, never malignant, but can grow strongly, forming continuous stripes and bumpy spots on the eyelids and around the eyes. Sometimes they cover significant areas of the body, also being localized on the palms and torso. This pathology is called xanthomatosis. It is impossible to remove xanthelasmas on your own; the help of a dermatologist or surgeon is required;
Lipoma – a benign tumor consisting of fat cells enclosed in a capsule of connective tissue. Such a wen can form on the upper or lower eyelid, less often – in the corner of the eye. The lipoma looks like a rounded mound, when pressed it is soft and painless, easily rolls and shifts to the side. The skin above it is unchanged in color and can be folded, the contents do not look outward, since the lipoma is located deeper than the previously described types of wen. It is the lipoma, in comparison with other similar eye pathologies, that is most prone to gradual growth and can take on large sizes, disrupting vision. In no case should you try to remove such a wen on your own; consultation of a dermato-oncologist or surgeon is required here. In very rare cases, a lipoma on the eye can transform into a liposarcoma, that is, into a malignant tumor.
Atheroma – a cyst of the sebaceous gland, becomes the result of blockage of its excretory duct. On the eyelids, this formation is not common, the favorite places of “habitat” for atheromas in the head area are the chin, behind the ear space and the scalp, since it is there that the most sebaceous glands are located. It is not easy to distinguish an atheroma from a lipoma, especially if it is small in size, but it is possible – the atheroma is denser, forms closer to the surface, so its contents can look outward, and a dark dot is visible at the top of the formation – a clogged mouth of the gland. In addition, it is impossible to fold the skin over the atheroma, even if the cyst is large. Such wen on the eye are the most dangerous because they can easily be injured and inflamed. Removal of atheroma is carried out exclusively in a medical institution, by a dermatologist or surgeon.
The process of forming a wen on the eye is easy to lose sight of, because at first it looks like a convex point and does not cause any discomfort. But as the lipoma or atheroma grows, it can reach an impressive size and turn into a cone-shaped tumor, which not only has a repulsive appearance, but also interferes with the normal operation of the visual apparatus. Therefore, any wen on the eyelids must be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. If such a formation appeared in a child, it is small and does not increase, you can wait until the age of seven to get by with local anesthesia when removing a wen.
Why do wen appear on the eyes?
The main reason for the development of wen is a violation of lipid metabolism, an enzymatic or hormonal failure.
Factors contributing to the appearance of wen:
Pathologies of the endocrine system – diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, tumors of the adrenal glands;
The predominance in the diet of fats and “fast” carbohydrates that are converted into fats;
The presence of bad habits – smoking, alcoholism;
The use of low-quality skin care products around the eyes, its regular damage;
Careless attitude to personal hygiene;
Genetically determined predisposition – mutation of the gene responsible for the production of an enzyme that breaks down fats;
Somatic diseases that disrupt the functioning of organs and systems.
Indications for the removal of wen on the eyelids
You should not wait for the spontaneous disappearance of a wen on the eye – such cases occur very rarely. Trying to eliminate even a small defect of this kind on your own is very dangerous, because you can infect an infection or inadvertently damage your eye. It is better to entrust the removal of a wen on the eyelid to a qualified cosmetologist, dermatologist or surgeon.
Indications for the removal of wen on the eyelids:
A rapid increase in education by 2-3 times within a short period of time;
The appearance of pain, redness, inflammation;
Inability to fully close the eye due to an interfering tumor;
Serious discomfort and aesthetic defect;
Violation of visual functions.
Before removing the wen, the patient receives a consultation from a surgeon and an ophthalmologist, undergoes the following studies:
General blood analysis;
Blood test for clotting;
Blood chemistry;
Histological examination of the contents of the wen to exclude the presence of atypical cells;
Blood test to determine hormonal status.
Subject to normal indicators, the patient is sent to a surgical hospital to remove a wen on the eye.
Treatment of a wen on the eye
The most commonly practiced method for removing large fatty formations on the eyelids is surgical excision of the tumor along with the capsule in which it is located. In some cases, in the presence of small wen, drug treatment is used or a cosmetic procedure is performed (if we are talking about milia).
Drug therapy
To remove a small wen on the eyelids, a special anti-inflammatory hormonal agent is sometimes used. The doctor performs several injections, and gradually the wen decreases in size, leaving no scars. The duration of such treatment is 2-2,5 months.
Large wen in front of the eyes are removed only with the help of surgery.
Surgical methods
Removal of wen on the eyelids is carried out using local anesthesia.
Types of operations:
Traditional excision with a scalpel, removal of a capsule of a large wen along with its contents – relapses are excluded, but scars may remain;
Liposuction – a special device for aspiration of fat is inserted into the capsule of the wen, there are no scars, but the likelihood of recurrence is high, since the capsule remains in place;
Electrocoagulation and cryodestruction – in one session of cauterization of small wen with high-frequency currents or liquid nitrogen vapor, several formations can be removed at once, wounds disappear after 7-10 days, subsequent formation of age spots is possible;
Radio wave surgery – removal of a wen on the eye with a radio knife, scars and relapses do not occur.
Laser removal of a wen on the eyelids is an effective painless method, the wound heals very quickly, bleeding, scars and relapses are excluded.
The only disadvantage of laser treatment is the high cost of the operation, since it requires high-tech equipment and qualified specialists.
[Video] Surgeon-oncologist Kushkin V.V. – WIN SHOULD BE REMOVED? | What is LIPOMA?: