THE NECESSITY OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AFTER SURGERY FOR BASAL-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE EYELID

Both diagnostic and therapeutic problems remain in the treatment of ba sal cell carcinomas of the eyelid. Incorrect initial diagnosis and res ulting inadequate treatment can lead to the loss of the bulbus. Inadeq uate follow up may result in failure to detect a recurrent tumor. We r etrospectively studied 226 patients with basal cell carcinoma of the e yelid who had surgery some time between 1980 and 1989. In 179 patients , a primary lid tumor was removed; the recurrence rate for these patie nts was 6.1%. Forty-seven patients had surgery for secondary eyelid ba saliomas; the recurrence rate for these patients was 14.8%. These recu rrence rates correlated clearly with the horizontal extent and depth o f the tumor, and with the appearance of the sclerodermiform type. The fact that recurrences were found after 3 years demonstrates the import ance of long-term follow up in these patients, especially in those wit h secondary tumors and tumors of exceptional height.