Management of eyelid carcinomas: Retrospective bicentric study of 64 cases and review of the literature

To study the epidemiologic, clinical and histological aspects of eyelid carcinomas in our context, and to evaluate our surgical management on an oncological, functional and aesthetic level. This work is a retrospective bicentric study extended over a 5-year period between January 2009 and December 2013, including 64 patients with eyelid carcinoma undergoing surgery in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department at the Avicenne University Hospital of Rabat and in the ENT/Head and Neck Surgery Department at the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez. The study included 25 men and 39 women with a mean age of 60.6 ± 15.33 years. Advanced age and chronic sun exposure were the most important risk factors. The most commonly involved site was the lower eyelid (53%). Histological examination emphasized the very high prevalence of basal cell carcinoma (90.62%). Surgical treatment was performed in all our patients followed by an extemporaneous and/or standard histological examination of the surgical specimen. Exenteration was performed in one patient with adjuvant radiation therapy. Reconstruction incorporated a variety of techniques, of which total skin graft and Mustardé flap were the most common in our series. Aside from a few complications, the postoperative results were satisfactory for the majority of our patients. Malignant tumors of the eyelids, of which basal cell carcinoma is the most common, pose a therapeutic problem where surgery remains the most utilized treatment option. The best treatment is prevention and diagnosis of early lesions to improve prognosis and to avoid worse outcomes.