Surgical Reconstruction in Malignant Eyelid Tumors

To report the histopathological subtypes of malignant eyelid tumors treated surgically in the author's clinic and to present the author's graft and flap preferences in the reconstruction of the eyelid defect after surgical excision.

This retrospective study included 33 patients who underwent malignant eyelid tumor excision, followed by eyelid reconstruction. A frozen section was performed during surgery to assess surgical margins in all patients. Demographic characteristics, histological classification, localization, and size of the tumor, postoperative defect size, follow-up period, complications, and recurrence rate were recorded.

Of the patients with a mean age of 66.6 ± 15.3 (range: 23-94), 15 (45.5%) were females and 18 (54.5%) were males. The lower eyelid was the most commonly involved site in 27 (81.8%) patients. Basal cell carcinoma was the most frequently diagnosed type of malignant cancer in 81.8% (n = 27) of the cases. Among the tumor subtypes, nodular type basal cell carcinoma was the most frequently observed subtype in 10 (30.3%) patients. Wide excision with different flap and graft techniques was performed in 26 (78.8%) patients with defect sizes of 40% or larger. In the author's study, the most preferred flap technique for anterior lamella reconstruction was the Tenzel semicircular flap (30.3% n = 10). The most frequently preferred flap for posterior lamella reconstruction was the Hughes tarsoconjunctival flap (30.3% n = 10). There were no flap or graft failures in any of the author's cases.

In the treatment of malignant eyelid tumors, different local flap and graft techniques selected according to the size of the defect have successful anatomical results in reconstructive surgery after frozen section controlled excision.