Objective: Didactic review of the various features of eyelid pathology in elderly patients.
Methods: Illustrated review centered on diagnosis of the usual aspects and pitfalls of eyelid pathology divided into semiological chapters (tumors, blisters, erythema, etc.).
Results: Pathology of the eyelids in elderly patients is extremely polymorphic. It is mainly centered on skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adnexal carcinomas, and melanoma). Most severe aspects of the inflammatory diseases of the eyelid are bullous diseases (cicatricial pemphigoid, pemphigus, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, etc.). A number of rare diseases deserve mention since their presence could lead to the diagnosis of internal or systemic diseases (dermatomyositis, necrobiotic xanthogranuloma, Erdheim-Chester, etc.). In such conditions, early diagnosis is often based on the observation of isolated periocular symptoms.
Conclusions: Even though topographic dermatology is a somewhat reductive vision of skin diseases, pathology of the eyelids deserves special mention because of its polymorphism as well as its diagnostic and/or therapeutic significance.