Basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in humans, and it is also the most frequent periocular malignancy. Although a slow-growing tumor, it can lead to significant morbidity in the periocular region as a result of orbital invasion. As clinical presentation can be very variable, biopsy is recommended for all suspicious lesions. Management needs to be individualized, taking into account patient factors, tumor characteristics, and histological subtype. Several treatment modalities have been proposed, but surgical excision with monitoring of excision margins has the highest cure rate. As a certain percentage of tumors will recur regardless of treatment modality, careful patient counseling and/or long-term follow-up is recommended. In this review, we discuss the risk factors, pathology, molecular biology, clinical features, and management of eyelid basal cell carcinoma.