A Case of Basosquamous Carcinoma of the Eyelid

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of basosquamous carcinoma of the eyelid, an aggressive tumor with a higher tendency for recurrence and metastasis. CASE SUMMARY: An 87-year-old woman presented with a painful mass and bloody exudates at the left lateral lower eyelid. Four years previous, the patient was diagnosed with basosquamous carcinoma of the left lower eyelid after biopsy at another hospital. At that time, she was unable to receive operation because she had suffered from a serious heart condition. With time, the left lower eyelid mass continued to grow and symptoms and signs of pain and bloody exudates appeared. The patient underwent surgery for complete tumor resection and repair and the biopsy of a specimen showed tumor-free margins and no metastasis to distal sites. CONCLUSIONS: Basosquamous carcinoma is a subtype of basal cell carcinoma with aggressive behavior and a higher tendency for recurrence and metastasis. However, our case showed no recurrence with no metastasis to the nearby lymph nodes, vessels, or nerves. We report a case of basosquamous carcinoma of the eyelid at old age that was cured after operative resection.