Eye cysts

Every so often, I get a patient who comes in with a cyst over the white part of their eyeball or of their eyelid. Often, I offer to drain the cyst as a simple procedure. However, there is a warning! A cyst is composed of a peripheral lining that secretes material into the center of the cyst itself, which is what forms the cystic cavity. By draining the cyst, the lining is essentially left intact. Therefore, the cyst lining can continue to secrete material and “re-fill” the cyst, causing a noticeable recurrence. The more cyst lining that is removed at the time of excision, the less likely recurrence is. Of course, removal of the cyst lining is more involved than simply draining the cyst, so there is a trade-off.