Introduction
Basaliomas are malignant ulcers that affect the basal cell layer of the skin and can in principle grow on any part of the human body. In most cases, parts of the skin are affected that are frequently exposed to the sun and thus to UV light. This also led to the assumption that UV light must be one of the factors causing this type of skin cancer.
In most cases, skin areas that are often exposed to light are affected. In a large number of cases, these are skin areas on the forehead, temples, head and nose. Since the eye, and especially the eyelid, is often exposed to sunlight, it is also possible that basal cell development may occur on the eyelid.
Basaliomas in the area of the eyes are not uncommon. These tumours require special attention, as they cannot be treated easily without damaging the eye and thus possibly also the vision. However, it is precisely here that rapid action is required to prevent the tumour from spreading to such an extent that it damages nerves or blood vessels in the eye, or even growing up to structures of the brain, which can also lead to a loss of vision. It is precisely here that the most aggressive form of basal cell carcinoma, basalioma terebrans, is feared. Due to its rapid aggressive growth, which does not even stop at cartilage, bone and muscle tissue, it can lead to blindness within a very short time.
Eyelid basal cell carcinoma
The incidence of basal cell carcinomas in the eyelid region is steadily increasing. Up to 90% of malignant eyelid changes are caused by a basalioma. It occurs mainly in advanced age, but can also occur earlier in rare cases.
It is important that a basalioma of the eyelid is treated. Although the cancer cells of the basalioma hardly ever spread to the rest of the body, the tumour continues to grow and can displace or destroy structures of the eye socket or eyeball. The basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid is usually located at the inner corner of the eye and most often at the lower eyelid.
The basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid can also be divided into solid basal cell carcinomas, which are usually nodular and raised with a central crust, and scleroderma-like basal cell carcinomas, which grow at the level of the skin and can only be delimited irregularly. The preferred therapy for eyelid basalioma is surgical removal. It is important that the basal cell carcinoma is removed completely so that the basal cell carcinoma does not recur.
Alternatively, the basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid can be irradiated. In this case, however, the tumour recurs more frequently (compared to surgical removal) and there are therapy-related side effects such as dry eyes or loss of eyelashes, up to and including possible cataract formation (cataract). Alternatively, an icing of the basal cell carcinoma (cryotherapy) can be performed. However, this therapy leads to a longer healing period. In addition, there is no control of the tumour expansion or whether all cancer cells have actually been frozen and thus destroyed.
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