Eyelid

Skin cancers in the periocular region, mostly the lower eyelid, account for 5–10% of all keratinocyte carcinomas with basal cell carcinomas representing 90% of the cases. Excising eyelid skin cancers with Mohs surgery offers comprehensive margin control and meticulous mapping of tumor margins leading to high cure rates while preserving normal anatomically sensitive eyelid tissue. There are a number of tissue challenges for the Mohs surgeon and technician given the tissue composition of the eyelid. Familiarity with varied tissue types of the eyelid, such as the conjunctivaConjunctiva and the tarsal plateTarsal plate is essential for high-quality Mohs tissue processing. Excisions from eyelid tissue can be quite variable, so the Mohs technician needs a flexible approach. CommunicationCommunication with the Mohs surgeon is invaluable when processing an eyelid specimen, both before the Mohs specimen is excised and when it is received in the Mohs lab.