Staged excision of primary periocular BCC
Reviewed by Jonathan Chan

This is a 10 retrospective review of case notes study of 437 patients of staged basal cell carcinoma (BCC) excisions between 2000 and 2017. All patients had 3mm clinically clear margins with staged excision and standard reconstruction techniques were performed in all cases. All specimens were subjected for tumour type, subtype and staging histopathologically; 156/437 patients had close or involved margins and residual tumours were found in 29 patients (18.6%), whereas in 122 eyelids of 120 patients (78.2%) no residual tumour was found histologically. Micronodular (54.1%) and nodular (23.7%) growth patterns of BCC and lower lid location (72.1%) were most prevalent in this centre. Two patients (1.6%) had recurrence over a mean period of 57 months follow-up period. The authors concluded that 78.2% show no residual tumour in the re-excision specimens. They recommended that re-excision is still the treatment of choice in these cases in the presence of involved margins in previous excision specimens, especially in high risk tumour subtypes.

Staged excision of primary periocular basal cell carcinoma: absence of residual tumour in re-excised specimens: a 10-year series.
McGrath LA, Meeney A, Currie ZI, et al.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
2019;103:976-9.