Curr Opin Ophthalmol 17:480–484. ß 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Introduction
A wide variety of lesions can affect the skin in the periocular region and they can be benign, premalignant and malignant. Although only 15–20% of periocular skin lesions will actually be malignant, it can be challenging for the general ophthalmologist to accurately identify and diagnose malignancy.
The benign lesions most commonly encountered by the ophthalmologist are chalazia, epidermal inclusion cysts, seborrheic keratoses and apocrine hydrocystomas.
The premalignant conditions include actinic keratosis, Bowen’s disease and keratoacanthoma. In the malignant group, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common, whereas sebaceous gland and Merkel cell carcinomas are the most aggressive.
