Abstract
Purpose :
Increased frequency of chalazion was associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and face mask wear in a study from California through August 2020.[1] This had not been further studied or confirmed in states with different climates, COVID-19 infection rates, and mask wearing practices. This retrospective chart review evaluated whether the frequency of chalazion diagnosis, injection, and excision had changed in New York City since the pandemic began.
Methods :
Medical records from the Division of Oculoplastic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine were reviewed from April 2018-June 2022. ICD-10 and CPT codes were used to search for the number of chalazion diagnoses, excisions, and injections each month. To account for clinical volume variances, the counts were proportioned to the total number of outpatient appointments and procedures performed by the division. Data were divided into two groups: before and after April 1, 2020. Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to assess if the frequency differences were significant.
Results :
There were chalazion diagnoses in 2,066 of the 14,458 outpatient appointments before April 2020, and 2,680 of the 12,584 appointments after April 2020. This increase in the proportion of appointments with a chalazion diagnosis was significant, X2(1, N=27,042)=228.30, p<.001. Additionally, from April 2018-March 2020, the division performed 2,962 total outpatient procedures, including 480 chalazion excisions and 169 chalazion injections. From April 2020-June 2022, there were 3,141 outpatient procedures, including 511 excisions and 251 injections. The proportion of procedures that were chalazion excisions was not significantly different before and after April 2020, X2(1, N=6103)=.005, p=.94, but the proportion of chalazion injections was significantly different, X2(1, N=6103)=12.43, p<.001, as was the proportion that were either chalazion excisions or injections, X2(1, N=6103)=4.73, p=.03.
Conclusions :
In a New York City academic medical center, chalazion diagnosis and injections, but not excisions, increased in frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding is likely multifactorial and highlights the need for awareness of this diagnosis, so non-specialist healthcare providers can better diagnose chalazia and the public can take appropriate precautions for prompt diagnosis and self-initiation of conservative measures, such as eyelid hygiene and warm compresses.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.