[Eyelid surgery : Eyelid surgical techniques from a histopathological perspective]

Eyelid surgery and histopathology are closely related, especially in tumor surgery. Based on histological specimens from the archive of the Department of Ophthalmopathology, Eye Centre Freiburg, this article deals with the search for traces following eyelid surgery, and explains the respective clinical relevance for ophthalmologists involved in surgical and conservative treatment. Thermal, electrical and mechanical impacts on the tissue during tumor removal lead to histologically detectable artifacts. These must be kept to a minimum by the surgeon in order to ensure histological assessability and avoid adverse consequences for the patient. During the subsequent eyelid reconstruction, the eyelid architecture is changed depending on the surgical technique. Thus, after Hughes' operation a degeneration of the meibomian glands is histologically noticeable, which should be taken into account in the clinical aftercare of the patients. Suture material can lead to foreign body granulomas, which can be clinically misinterpreted as tumor recurrence. In contrast to foreign material, transplanted autologous tissue, such as cartilage or oral mucosa in the case of eyelid malposition, usually does not lead to chronic inflammation.