Figure 1
This is the pathology of an eyelid lesion FROM a 67 year old man
Questions and Answers
1. What is the diagnosis? Answer: Basal cell carcinoma
2. What are the pathological findings shown? Answer: Nests and cords of bluish cells with palisading of cells at the tumor border, which is characteristic of basal cell carcinoma. Another characteristic finding in basal cell carcinoma would be a clear space between tumor cells and dermis, which represents a clefting artifact due to processing.
3. How common is this type of lesion? Answer: Basal cell carcinoma represents approximately 20% of all eyelid tumors and is the most common of malignant eyelid tumors. Basal cell carcinoma represents 90% of malignant eye-lid tumors.
4. Does this lesion metastasize? Answer: Basal cell carcinoma is usually locally infiltrative and only rarely metastasizes.
5. What is the treatment of this lesion? Answer: Usually, the treatment of this lesion is complete local excision. However, if the tumor invades INTO the orbit, which occurs more frequently in medial canthus tumors, treatment may require exenteration.
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