Periocular Skin Cancer in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Purpose: To determine the proportion of solid organ transplant recipients developing periocular nonmelanoma skin cancer and to describe the morbidity of these cancers in transplant recipients.

Design: Cohort study.

Participants: Consecutive patients undergoing solid organ transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic between 1990 and 2008.

Methods: The charts of all patients receiving a solid organ transplant from 1990-2008 evaluated in the dermatology department for a subsequent biopsy-proven head and neck malignancy through April 2015 were reviewed. Patients with a periocular region nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) or a nonperiocular NMSC causing a complication requiring eyelid surgery were included. Charts were reviewed for demographic data; transplant date, type, and source; immunosuppressive agents received at diagnosis; and type of NMSC, number of nonperiocular NMSCs, ophthalmologic findings, and periocular sequelae after the repair.

Main outcome measures: Primary outcome measures included the type, location, final defect size, tumor-node-metastasis classification, presence of perineural invasion, and reconstruction technique(s) used for each periocular NMSC. Secondary outcome measures included the type and treatment of ocular sequelae due to nonperiocular facial NMSC.

Results: A total of 3489 patients underwent solid organ transplantation between 1990 and 2008. Of these, 420 patients were evaluated in the dermatology clinic for biopsy-proven NMSC of the head and neck during the study period, and 11 patients (15 malignancies) met inclusion criteria. Nine patients developed 12 periocular malignancies and 3 patients required eyelid surgery for facial malignancies outside the periocular zone. All 11 patients developed a squamous cell carcinoma (14 malignancies), and 1 patient (1 malignancy) also developed a periocular basal cell carcinoma. There was orbital invasion in 4 cases and paranasal and/or cavernous sinus invasion in 3 cases. Two patients underwent exenteration. Seven cases required reconstruction with a free flap or graft. Periocular sequelae included lower eyelid ectropion (6 malignancies), dry eye and/or exposure symptoms (8 malignancies), unilateral vision loss (3 malignancies), and facial nerve paresis (5 malignancies).

Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma affecting the periocular region represents a risk of solid organ transplantation and may produce significant ocular morbidity, including the need for major eyelid reconstruction, globe loss, and disfiguring surgery.