[Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid--two case reports]

Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid is a very rare, slow growing, malignant tumor. Most ocular sebaceous carcinomas originate in the tarsal meibomian glands. It commonly occurs in the sixth to eighth decade of life, with preponderance for women and Asians. The upper eyelid is affected more frequently. The disease can spread directly by orbital invasion, lymphatic spread to regional lymph nodes and hematogenous spread to distant organs. Correct diagnosis of sebaceous carcinoma is often delayed due to its resemblance to a variety of benign conditions of the eyelids such as chalasion or chronic blepharoconjunctivitis. This paper presents cases illustrating two clinical forms of sebaceous carcinoma (spreading and nodular), discusses clinical manifestation, differential diagnostic difficulties and therapy.