[Treatment of basal cell carcinomas of the eyelid]

In the treatment of basal cell carcinomas of the eyelid, diagnostic and therapeutic problems are still existing. Primary wrong diagnosis and resulting inadequate treatment can lead to the loss of the bulbus. In the following study, 198 patients were operated on basal cell carcinoma between 1980 and 1988. In 155 patients a primary eyelid tumor was removed, and the recurrence rate was 4.52%. In 43 patients with secondary eyelid tumors (recurrent tumors), a recurrence rate of 18.6% was found. Most of the tumors were verified as solid, nodular or cystic types: 73.3%. The sclerodermiform type was found in 11.0%. The recurrence rate correlated clearly with horizontal extent and depth of the tumor, and with the appearance of the sclerodermiform type. Methods of examination, treatment and the results are presented.