I. Benign Eyelid Lesions
A. Papilloma
1. Examination: Lesions are soft; skin colored, tan, or brown; round or oval,
pedunculated; size ranges from < 1 mm to 10 mm.
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Increase in age; Gender: F > M; Etiology:
Unknown
3. History: Usually asymptomatic; may become crusted or hemorrhagic
4. Special Considerations: May grow or become more numerous during
pregnancy; More common in obese patients
5. Treatment: Excision by simply snipping the lesion at the base
B. Seborrheic Keratosis
1. Examination: Starts as flat, light tan lesion; as they age becomes “warty”;
lesions vary in size from 1 mm to 6 cm
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Rare < 30 years; Gender: M > F; Etiology:
Unknown
3. History: Usually asymptomatic; most common on the face and upper body
4. Special Considerations: Most common on the lower lids; Pathophysiology
demonstrates epidermal lesion with proliferation of keratinocytes and
melanocytes
5. Treatment: Light electrocautery / cryotherapy permits the lesion to be
curretted off
C. Epidermal Inclusion Cyst
1. Examination: Smooth, round, elevated cyst; Usually lesions grow slowly
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Any; Gender: M = F; Etiology: Arises from
the infundibulum of the hair follicle
3. History: May have history of trauma
4. Special Considerations: These cyst may become secondarily infected and
cause a cellulitis
5. Treatment: Excision; remove entire cyst wall or destroy base with cautery
unit
D. Molluscum Contagiosum
1. Examination: Pearly white or skin colored with a central keratin plug
providing umbilication; Single or multiple, 1 mm to 2 mm papules
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Children / young; Gender: M > F; Etiology:
Viral lesions spread by contact
3. History: Spontaneously occurring
4. Special Considerations: If located at eyelid margin, may cause follicular
conjunctivitis; May cause disfiguring lesions in immunocompromised patients
5. Treatment: Treat core with electrodesiccation or direct excision of lesion
E. Syringoma
1. Examination: Skin colored / yellowish, multiple,
up to 2 mm; Common on lower eyelids
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Puberty; Gender: Women; Etiology:
Adenoma of the intraepidermal eccrine duct
3. History: Insidious onset
4. Special Considerations: May present elsewhere on face, axillae, umbilicus,
upper chest and vulva
5. Treatment: Electrosurgery or direct excision
F. Apocrine Hydrocystoma
1. Examination: Cystic lesion near / at lid margin which are translucent; May
be multiple lesions
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Adults; Gender: Equal; Etiology: Cyst
formation from gland of Moll
3. History: May slowly enlarge
4. Special Considerations: The lesion is an adenoma of the secretory cells of
Moll and not a retention cyst
5. Treatment: Marsupialization of the cyst for superficial lesions; Complete
excision for deeper lesions
II. Eyelid Inflammation
A. Chalazion, Anterior / Retro Tarsal
1. Examination: A firm mass which is not painful to touch; May protrude
anterior to tarsal plate, posterior to tarsal plate or both
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Any; Gender: Equal; Etiology: Obstruction
of meibomian glands
3. History: May present as an infection
4. Special Considerations: Chronic, nonresolving or reoccurring chalazia
need to be biopsied to rule out carcinoma
5. Treatment: Warm compresses with massage, Intralesional Steroid
Injections or Surgical Incision and Curettage
B. Hordeolum, External / Internal
1. Examination: Red, swollen, tender eyelid, often with focal area of infection
around a gland
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Any; Gender: Equal; Etiology: Bacterial
infection of Zeiss or Meibomian glands
3. History: Sudden onset
4. Special Considerations: If patient is febrile, increase the loading dose of
the oral antibiotics; monitor for the development of a chalazion
5. Treatment: Warm compresses with topical antibiotic / steroid ointment for
external; Oral antibiotics for internal
III. Eyelid Neoplasms
A. Actinic Keratosis
1. Examination: Rough, slightly elevated, skin- colored or light brown lesions
with hyperkeratotic scale
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Over age 40; Gender: M > F; Etiology:
Sun exposure
3. History: Extensive sun exposure in youth; lesions present for months
4. Special Considerations: It is estimated that one Squamous Cell
Carcinoma will develop per 1000 Actinic Keratoses
5. Treatment: Excise nodular lesions / pathological evaluation; Flat lesions
with liquid nitrogen or 5% 5-fluorouracil cream
B. Lentigo Maligna
1. Examination: Flat, dark brown or black color, sharply defined edges Often
appear as a dark “stain” on the skin
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Median age 65; Gender: M = F; Etiology:
Sun exposure
3. History: Exact onset of lesion is usually unclear
4. Special Considerations: This is a premalignant lesion and should be
excised because of the chance of development into a melanoma
5. Treatment: Excision with margins sent out for pathological
evaluation
C. Basal Cell Carcinoma
1. Examination: Round or oval, firm lesions with depressed center;
the center may be ulcerated; May present as pigmented lesions,
especially in patients with darker skin; Note the pearly edges on the inferior
part of the lesion;
A cystic lesion can be a Basal Cell Carcinoma: This lesion is larger than most
hydrocystomas and has a slightly violaceous hue; Basal Cell Nevus
Syndrome: is an autosomal dominant syndrome where the patient develops
many Basal Cell Carcinomas all over the face at a very young age
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Over 40 years; Gender: M > F; Etiology:
Sun exposure
3. History: Slowly enlarging lesions in sun-exposed areas. The lesions may
bleed
4. Special Considerations: Aggressive treatment of basal cell carcinoma of
the medial canthal area is indicated because of risk of orbital extension
5. Treatment: Complete excision with pathological evaluation;
Reconstruction of the defect is often completed at the same time
D. Squamous Cell Carcinoma
1. Examination: Differentiated lesions are keratinized, firm and hard;
undifferentiated lesions are fleshy, granulomatous and soft
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: Over 55 years; Gender: M > F; Etiology:
Sun exposure
3. History: Persistent keratotic lesion or plaque that does not resolve after 1
month
4. Special Considerations: Malignant tumor of epithelial keratinocytes;
Incidence: 12
per 100,000 white males; 7 per 100,00 white females; 1 per
100,00 blacks
5. Treatment: Complete surgical excision with controlled margins and
pathological evaluation
E. Sebaceous Adenocarcinoma
1. Examination: Nodular lesion simulating chalazion; unilateral chronic
blepharitis; Destructive / ulcerative lesion on the eyelid margin; when the
eyelid is everted there is an infiltrative lesion of the tarsal conjunctiva
2. Epidemiology / Etiology: Age: > 50 years; Gender: F > M; Etiology:
Arises from meibomian, Zeiss, and sebaceous glands
3. History: Chronic blepharitis or nonresolving chalazion
4. Special Considerations: This lesion is highly malignant and potentially
fatal; the “great masquerader” Can have skip areas
5. Treatment: Complete excision with wide controlled margins and
pathological evaluation using special lipid stains