Basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelids and their treatment by radiotherapy.

We report 1,166 tumors of the eyelids that were treated by single or fractionated exposures to doses of 20-60 Gy. The five year tumor control rate was 95% for basal cell and 93.3% for squamous cell carcinoma. Irradiation was equally successful in primary cases and in those recurrent following surgery. Recurrence following irradiation was managed by surgery or further irradiation. The cosmetic and functional results were generally excellent and readily accepted by most patients. The overall complication rate was 9.6% with fewer than one-half rated as serious; these problems mainly occurred with large tumors that had destroyed normal tissues. In only 14 (1.2%) patients was death related to the tumor. Approximately one-half of the patients received a dose of 35 Gy in five daily fractions, one-quarter, 20 to 22.5 Gy in a single exposure and the others with larger tumors 42.5-60 Gy in 10 to 30 exposures in two to six weeks. Radiotherapy is a safe and cost effective treatment for eyelid tumors.

Treatment of blepharitis and blepharoconjunctivitis: comparison of gentamicin-betamethasone, gentamicin alone and placebo.

At two university centres 46 patients presenting with symptomatic infective blepharitis or blepharoconjunctivitis participated in a double-blind study of a new antibiotic-steroid ointment containing gentamicin and betamethasone. There was no significant difference in response to 2 weeks of therapy between the patients treated with this ointment and those treated with either an ointment containing gentamicin alone or a placebo ointment. There was also no significant correlation between the clinical response and the results of the bacterial cultures of swabs obtained at the beginning and the end of the study. However, the patients treated with the placebo had a much higher rate of recurrence of their symptoms over a 6-week follow-up period. The patients who before treatment had associated rosacea, dry eyes and a long duration of symptoms showed a poor response to therapy.

Eye injuries in canadian racquet sports.

Racquet sports eye injuries have increased steadily in recent years. To determine the magnitude of the problem, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) Athletic Eye Injury Committee has sent questionnaires to COS members since 1976 to be completed for all racquet sports eye injuries treated. In the first year of the questionnaire 48 injuries were reported, including three legally blind eyes. From July 1978 to May 1981, 154 squash and 91 racquetball eye injuries were reported. Half the injured players required hospitalization and surgery was frequent; some players had permanent vision loss. These findings led to assessment of available eye protectors. Open-type protectors can be penetrated by balls and some closed-type protectors are not sufficiently sturdy. Steps are underway to write a Canadian standard for racquet sports eye protectors. Meanwhile the public must be informed of the danger of racquet sports eye injuries and the importance of wearing closed-type protectors.