Mucinous carcinoma of the eyelid: a case report

Abstract

Primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma is a rare malignant tumour which arises from the eccrine sweat glands most commonly in the head and neck region and more so in the eyelid. Ever since the first description by Lennox et al. in 1952, most of the information available on this rare malignant tumour with an incidence of 0.1 cases per a million individuals is from a few published case reports. Due to its slow growing nature, it is often misdiagnosed as other benign lesions of the eyelid. Diagnosis is made through histological analysis which reveals malignant epithelial cells surrounded by periodic acid Schiff positive mucin. Management is through excision of the tumour and due to its high recurrence rate, excision should be done with a wide margin of healthy tissue followed by reconstruction of the eyelid. We describe the case of a 75-year-old Kenyan Caucasian man who presented with a slow growing mass on the left lower eyelid for 10 years that was excised twice before and recurred. A diagnosis of mucinous carcinoma of the eyelid was made based on histology. The patient was managed successfully through excision of the mass with a 3mm margin of healthy tissue followed by reconstruction of the eyelid using a Mustarde flap and mucoperichondrial flap from the inner lining of the nasal septum to reconstruct the inner lining of the new eyelid.