Metastatic Tumors of the Eyelids

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma presenting as a chalazion

“…Riley,8 in 1970, reviewed the literature and 15 cases from the Mayo tissue registry of patients with metastatic lesions to the eyelid. The most common primary tumours in the series were breast, melanoma, lung, and stomach.…”

Eyelid metastases indicating neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown origin

“…3 Malignant lesions should also be considered including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, sebaceous cell carcinoma, and primary neuroendocrine of the skin or Merkel cell carcinoma. 1,2,4 In our patient, the histologic differential diagnosis consisted of poorly differentiated primary eccrine carcinoma, metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma, poorly metastatic carcinoid tumour, and Merkel cell carcinoma. 4,5 Immunohistochemical analyses were useful in this case and Merkel cell carcinoma was unlikely because tumour cells did not express cytokeratine 20.…”

“…1,2 In 1987, Mansour and Hidayat 2 reviewed 88 cases from the literature. 2 The primary site was the breast in 41 patients, the gastrointestinal tract in 12, the respiratory tract in six, the skin in six, and the genitourinary tract in four.…”

“…1,2 Metastases to the eyelid present as a painless nodule, a diffuse swelling or an ulcerating lid, and both lower and upper eyelids may be involved. 1,2 Most of the patients are between 50 and 80 years of the age, and are women because of association with breast carcinoma. Differential diagnosis of the eyelid nodule includes benign lesions such as chalazion, cyst, granuloma, and xanthoma.…”

Metastatic eyelid disease associated with primary breast carcinoma: case report

“…Metastasis confined to eyelids are rare, representing less than 1% of malignant eyelid lesions (1)(2) . Twenty seven per cent of eyelid metastasis appear before primary lesions (1) .…”