Solitary metastasis of breast carcinoma to the eyelid A clinicopathological case report

Abstract

Metastatic tumors to the eyelid are relatively infrequent and may masquerade as many benign and malignant lesions in the absence of a known primary malignancy. A 50-year-old woman with a suspicious breast lump who developed a diffuse nontender left lower eyelid mass in three months is reported. Simultaneous biopsies revealed infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma. There was no other metastasis. The eyelid tumor responded nicely to chemotherapy. Magnetic resonance imaging was of help in defining the exact extent of the tumor in the anterior orbit. Metastasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ill-defined painless indurations of the eyelid in middle-aged women.

Key Words:

• Metastatic eyelid disease
• breast carcinoma
• magnetic resonance imaging