Use of Crossed Polarizers to Enhance Images of the Eyelids.

PURPOSE To describe imaging of the external eye with Crossed Polarizers to enhance clinically important features in digital photographs of the eyelids. METHODS External photographs with and without crossed polarizing filters were taken of patients with blepharitis and controls with no clinical eye pathology. RESULTS Photographing eyelid skin through Crossed Polarizers decreased reflections on the skin surface and improved visualization of eyelid telangiectasias and blood vessels in patients with a broad range of skin pigmentation and ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS The use of Crossed Polarizers in imaging the external eye reduces reflections and glare from the eyelid skin and margins, thereby allowing for a more detailed evaluation of underlying structures and analysis of images. These findings suggest that including Crossed Polarizers in clinical photography has informative applications for assessing eyelid disease.