Characteristics of excluded studies [ordered by study ID]

Study	Reason for exclusion
Bahgat 1986	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with chalazia, defined as chronic lipogranulomas with duration of one month to three years before therapy. Participants were stratified by type of chalazia and were assigned to injections of corticosteroids with or without antibiotics, or to control
Chen 2000	Intervention not eligible: RCT of participants with internal and external hordeolum randomly assigned to bloodletting of the ear or no treatment
Comstock 2012	Population not eligible: RCT of pediatric participants with lid inflammation to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Zylet® compared with vehicle. As the focus of the trial was primarily safety of Zylet® in pediatric patients, eligibility criteria were not strict and subgroup data for specific diagnoses were not collected
Copeman 1958	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with recurrent external hordeola, defined as at least one previous stye of the eyelash follicle within the last month. Patients alternately assigned to antibiotic ointment or control applied to the anterior nares
Gao 2001	Intervention not eligible: RCT of participants with hordeolum randomly assigned to wrist-ankle acupuncture or oral ofloxacin plus topical chloramphenicol
Garrett 1988	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with chalazia, defined as chronic inflammation of the meibomian glands. Participants randomly assigned to warm compresses and lid scrubs, intralesional steroid injections, or both treatments
Gordon 1970	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with acute, subacute, or chronic external eye infections. Participants randomly assigned to treatment with topical gentamicin or topical combination of neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin. Of the 104 participants studied, none were diagnosed with hordeolum
Hatano 1969	Population not eligible: interventional case series of participants with ophthalmic infection. Of the 28 participants studied, 10 were diagnosed with hordeolum, but internal and external cases were not specified. All participants received topical minocycline
Hatano 1974	Population not eligible: interventional case series of participants with ophthalmic infection. Of the 40 participants studied, 10 were diagnosed with hordeolum, but internal and external cases were not specified. Four of these participants underwent surgery at the time of first consult, and six received the antibiotic amikacin
Hirunwiwatkul 2005	Intervention not eligible: RCT of participants with internal and external hordeolum after undergoing surgical incision and curettage. Participants randomly assigned to treatment with antibiotic ophthalmic solution or placebo after surgery
Jacobs 1984	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with noninfectious chalazia present for two or more weeks. Participants randomly assigned to injection with triamcinolone or incision and curettage
Kastl 1987	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with active eyelid infection (styes and blepharitis) determined by cultures taken from the base of the eyelashes. Participants randomly assigned to treatment with yellow mercuric oxide or placebo
Laibson 1981	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with acute ocular infections. Participants randomly assigned to tobramycin ophthalmic solution or gentamicin ophthalmic solution. Of the 68 participants studied, none were diagnosed with hordeolum
Magnuson 1967	Population not eligible: interventional case series of participants with various eye infections, with most having conjunctivitis, meibomianitis, or blepharitis. Of the 131 participants studied, as many as three may have had a stye. All participants received gentamicin sulfate and hot and cold compresses
Manabe 1981	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with infection of the anterior portion of the eye. Participants were assigned by order of enrolment to treatment with tobramycin ophthalmic solution or gentamicin ophthalmic solution. Of the 504 participants studied, 43 were diagnosed with hordeolum, but internal and external cases were not specified. Data were not reported separately for hordeolum cases
Mathew 1966	Population not eligible: interventional case series of participants with external hordeola, defined as acute inflammation of the glands situated at the root of eye lashes. All participants received penicillin and streptomycin plus a polyvalent antigen (Munomycin)
NCT01763437	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with chalazia of longer than one week duration. Participants assigned to injection with tetracycline or observation
NCT02338648	Population not eligible: RCT of participants with chalazia, defined as visible single granulomas in the upper or lower eyelid. Participants assigned to an investigation transdermal patch or placebo
Oishi 1973	Not a controlled trial: interventional case series of 26 children with ophthalmic infection, three of whom had internal hordeolum. All participants received topical clindamycin-2-palmitate
Panda 1987	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with chalazia, defined as chronic inflammatory granulomas. Participants assigned to injection with one of three corticosteroids: dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, or triamcinolone
Sawae 1971	Population not eligible: interventional case series of participants with ophthalmic infection. Of the 22 participants studied, one was diagnosed with hordeolum, but it was not specified as being internal or external. All patients received clindamycin
Takama 2006	Intervention not eligible: RCT of participants with hordeolum randomly assigned to receive Chinese herbal medicine or no Chinese herbal medicine supplementary to topical ofloxacin and fluorometholone
Vácha 1987	Population not eligible: observational study of participants with chalazia, defined as granulomas. Treatment with kenalog injections was compared with incision and curettage
Wang 1983	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with chalazia, defined as tarsal cyst. Participants assigned to local injection of one of two corticosteroids
Watson 1984	Population not eligible: CCT of participants with chalazia, defined as chronic granulomas. Participants alternately assigned to injection with triamcinolone acetonide or incision and curettage
Willcox 2008	Population not eligible: case report of a participant treated with malian ointment for a stye
Xu 2004	Intervention not eligible: RCT of participants with hordeolum randomly assigned to acupuncture plus bloodletting of the ear or sham therapy

CCT: controlled clinical trial

RCT: randomized clinical trial