Reconstruction of periorbital defects following malignant tumour excision: A report of 50 cases

SummaryBackgroundTreatment in malignant periorbital tumours requires a radical resection of the tumour, and reconstruction of eyelid defects is difficult task because it should aim at gaining functional and aesthetical improvement.MethodsWe have reviewed 50 cases of malignant periorbital tumour that were treated surgically from 1992 to 2010. We assessed the type of reconstruction performed, and present or absent of any complication.ResultsThe decision of the appropriate reconstructive procedure was based on the location of the tumour and the size of the defects. For the upper eyelid, switch flap from lower lid was performed in 11 out of 14 patients those defects exceeding 50% of the horizontal length. There were 21 complications (42%); major complications in 11 patients (22%) and minor complications in 10 patients (20%). Major complications have occurred only in upper eyelid or in lower eyelid. All of the major complications appeared in the patients with larger defects exceeding 50%.ConclusionsThe 72% of major complications were associated with reconstruction of larger defects in upper eyelid. It might be extremely difficult to obtain good results in the patients with large upper eyelid defects, although switch flap is applicable to such defects.