Eyelid tumors are extremely common in our population. An eyelid lesion can be solid or cystic, pigmented, or non-pigmented, congenital, or acquired. Most importantly, a distinction should be made between a benign tumor and eyelid skin cancer. Eyelid skin cancer is covered in another blog.
A benign eyelid tumor is generally present since childhood or early adulthood without causing any symptoms. It may grow slowly over time and change its color. Surgical removal is not required for health reasons, but patients may be concerned about their cosmetic appearance.
An eyelid lesion that appears suddenly and grows quickly is usually inflammatory or infectious in nature. The most common example is a stye or chalazion. Cystic lesions such as hidrocystoma may grow at a fast rate despite being benign and more commonly produce symptoms.
Treatment is surgical in the majority of cases. Surgical removal of a benign eyelid lesion should be performed by an eyelid specialist in a sterile environment. Extreme care is taken to preserve healthy eyelid tissue and guarantee normal eyelid function after surgery. Also, the right approach must be selected to ensure a successful outcome and prevent complications.
The most common complications are lagophthalmos, which is the inability to close the eye, and poor scarring. Fortunately, these can be avoided by employing the right surgical technique. The goal is to achieve full eyelid closure and an imperceptible scar after removal of the tumor.
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