Correlation between ocular tumor distribution and age based on analysis of pathological specimens

To analyze the distribution of benign and malignant eyelid tumors and their relationship with age, and to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

A retrospective review was conducted on 1,056 patients with eyelid tumors. Clinicopathological data were collected to evaluate the histopathological characteristics and anatomical site distribution of the tumors. The association between age and the distribution of benign and malignant eyelid tumors was analyzed.

Among the 1,056 patients with eyelid tumors, 754 (71.40%) cases were benign, whereas 302 (28.60%) cases were malignant. The upper eyelid was the most affected site (44.03%), followed by lower eyelid (41.95%). In patients aged 0-19 years, all tumors were benign. The proportion of malignant tumors increased with age and reached 45.21% in those aged ≥80 years (χ²=149.333, P<0.001). Significant differences in tumor types were observed among different age groups (χ²=59.431, P<0.001). Male sex was predominant (64.90%) among patients with malignant tumors. Most malignant tumors were moderately differentiated (45.70%), and dermal infiltration was the most common pattern (51.66%). The proportion of deep infiltration was significantly higher in patients aged ≥60 years (44.88%) than in those <60 years (17.53%) (χ²=21.357, P<0.001). Moreover, the proportion of tumors invading the meibomian glands or orbital tissues was higher in the lower eyelid (28.06%) compared with other sites (χ²=14.092, P=0.003).

The type and malignancy of eyelid tumors are closely related to age, gender, and tumor location, while the depth of malignant tumor infiltration is associated with age and anatomical site.