MODEL RELEASED. Chalazion cyst on an eyelid in an 80-year-old woman. This condition, also known as a meibomian cyst, is caused by the obstruction of one of the meibomian glands which lubricate the edge of the eyelid. Chalazions are usually painless and often disappear without treatment. If the swelling is large, however, it can put pressure on the surface of the eye, blurring vision. In these cases they can be surgically removed from behind the eyelid under local anaesthetic.