Super pulse CO₂ laser therapy for benign eyelid tumors

Benign eyelid tumors occur commonly in daily outpatient services.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment of benign eyelid lesions with a super pulse CO₂ laser as an alternative to surgical excision.

This retrospective clinical study included 80 patients with 99 benign eyelid lesions treated with super pulse CO₂ laser photocoagulation. The following areas were involved: the upper eyelid in 38 cases, the lower eyelid in 39 cases, and the angulus oculi in seven cases (the eyelid margin was included in 18 cases). The laser spot size ranged from 120 to 200 μm and the super pulse CO₂ laser power density varied between 0.6 and 21.1 W/mm² . The mean follow-up period was 14.0±7.1 months (range five to 30). Histological diagnoses were obtained in 62 of the 80 patients.

The cosmetic outcomes of all of the patients were satisfactory after treatment, and the wounds formed dry scabs, with no infections. They were epithelialized within 2-4 weeks with normal-appearing epithelium. Temporarily, the treated area had less hyperpigmentation than the surrounding normal skin, showing no obvious scars or notches. No complications were observed, with no relapses during the follow-up.

The super pulse CO₂ laser therapy of the benign eyelid tumors provided satisfactory cosmetic results in this study. It is a convenient, cheap, accessible, and well-tolerated alternative to traditional surgery, especially for diffuse tumors, or those positioned close to the lacrimal papillae.