Purpose: To report the clinical and histopathologic features in 6 patients with cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the eyelid and periocular skin.
Methods: Clinical records and radiographic features of all consecutive patients treated by the principal investigator between January 2005 and October 2007 with the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the eyelid and periocular skin.
Results: Six patients ranged in age from 26 to 84 years old (median, 55 years). Five patients had their metastatic lesion in the upper eyelid and 1 in the lower eyelid. The mean survival after the diagnosis of melanoma metastatic to the eyelid was 5.3 months. All patients had metastases at other sites detected prior to the diagnosis of the eyelid metastasis. The mean interval from initial primary tumor diagnosis to metastasis to the eyelid was 121 months. In all 6 patients, palliative surgical resection of the metastatic eyelid lesions was carried out.
Conclusions: Melanoma metastatic to the eyelid is not uncommon in advanced stage cutaneous melanoma. Palliative surgical management of these metastatic lesions should be considered to improve the patient's quality of life.