Photodynamic therapy of eyelid basal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT; i.e. selective destroying of malignant cells by exposing them to red light after photosensitization) has been increasingly used for non-melanoma skin cancers. Due to excellent cosmetic and functional results, especially in difficult-to-treat areas, it may offer a comprehensive alternative to previous treatment modalities.

OBJECTIVE: A series of six patient cases was used to evaluate the efficacy of PDT in the treatment of lower eyelid basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Methods Histological confirmation of BCC, a detailed demonstration of the technique with an illustrative series of cases and a review of related literature.

RESULTS: Six patients with lower eyelid BCC were treated with two treatment sessions of PDT within a week. Five patients had a nodular type and one patient had a superficial type of BCC. The follow-up after treatment continued for 20-36 (mean 26.5) months. No recurrences were observed during the follow-up. All the patients were satisfied with the good results and tolerated the treatment well without any harm to the eyeball or surrounding skin.

CONCLUSION: PDT, although experimental in the eyelid area because of the small amount of data and the lack of a long-term follow-up, may be considered a promising comprehensive alternative when treating BCC in the eyelid area.