Treatment of Nonmelanoma Eyelid Carcinomas With Imiquimod

Approximately 5% to 10% of all skin cancers occur in the periocular region. Risk factors for eyelid neoplasms include advanced age, light skin color, family history, and chronic sun exposure. The most common malignancies are basal cell carcinomas (BCCs)(90%), sebaceous carcinomas (5%), and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs)(4%), followed by (1%) malignant melanomas, lymphomas, Kaposi sarcomas, and rarely Merkel cell carcinomas. In the periocular region, BCCs (frequency, 70%), SCCs (frequency, 70%), and melanomas (frequency, 60%) more commonly occur on the lower lid. Sebaceous carcinomas occur on the upper eyelid the majority of the time because of the increased distribution of glands in that location.