Background-Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid is rare. The diagnosis might be diYcult because of its ability to masquerade as other periocular lesions. Prognosis is still regarded as being poor compared with most other malignant eyelid tumours with a mortality second only to malignant melanoma. The present study retrospectively analyses clinical and histopathological findings and outcome in a series of patients with sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid in Britain. Methods-43 patients with histologically confirmed sebaceous carcinoma treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital between 1976 and 1992 were subjected to retrospective analysis. Clinical data of all patients were reviewed from the charts; all surviving patients except four cases lost for follow up were re-examined. Histological specimens were reviewed in 41 cases. Results-23 females and 20 males, mean age 63 years (range 37-79), were treated. Primary therapy was surgery in 37 and radiotherapy in six cases. After a median follow up of 40 months (range 1-148) 30 patients were alive without recurrences, four patients had died from the tumour, and one was alive with local recurrence and distant metastases. Four patients had died of non-tumour related causes. Histologically, unfavourable outcome was correlated with poor tumour diVerentiation and extensive invasion. Conclusion-Early diagnosis and consequent surgical therapy of sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid leads to a better outcome and higher survival rates than generally assumed. Even local recurrences can be treated successfully. However, sebaceous carcinoma remains a threatening disease, which leads to death in 9% and to mutilating exenteration in 23% of our patients.

No abstract

Symptoms, genetics and differential diagnosis of this rare, congenital deformity of the lids are described. Strategies for the conservative and surgical therapy on the basis of own experiences and an extensive review of the literature are presented.

No abstract

The authors report a rare observation of leopard spot-like and reticular pigmentary patterns in a patient with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). Characteristic fundus changes associated with PXE have been described as angioid streaks, subretinal neovascularization membranes, peau d'orange, focal retinal pigment epithelium atrophy (salmon spots), drusen, and optic nerve head drusen. The new manifestation of PXE in the fundus of the patient described here is a random scattering of small, dark brown pigment dots throughout the macula and around the disk. These clumps may flow into one another or join together like a string of pearls. These changes are rare and should be distinguished from the others mentioned above. To the authors' knowledge no more than ten cases have been reported in the literature so far.