Clinical cases: A 94-year-old woman, who had had a chalazion for a period of 8 months, presented because of thickening of the eyelid with necrosis, madarosis and adenopathy. A 67-year-old woman, previously operated on for a sebaceous carcinoma, presented because of reddening of the conjunctiva and eyelid. Clinical evaluation revealed inflammation of the eyelid and an irregular and erythematous superior bulbar conjunctiva with disruption of the limbal architecture.
Discussion: A sebaceous carcinoma is a tumour which is difficult to diagnose and treat, because it can be patchy and has a tendency to pagetoid dissemination. Diagnosis requires a biopsy of the lesion and mapping of biopsies from the conjunctiva of the eyelid and eyebrow. The subsequent treatment depends on the extent of the tumour, and may involve simple cleavage, topical mitomycin C, radiotherapy or exenteration of the eyebrow.