Malignant eyelid lesions: histopathological types and degree of tissue invasion at the time of presentation

Eyelid margin Kaposi sarcoma leading to AIDS diagnosis

A wide variety of eyelid lesions are routinely encountered in standard medical practice. Most commonly, these lesions are benign; however, malignant etiologies may present on the eyelid and require further attention. In this case, we present a 51-year-old man with no known medical history who presented to an ophthalmologist for treatment of a lesion on the left lower eyelid, which was presumed to be an inflamed chalazion. Incisional biopsy of the lesion revealed it to be Kaposi sarcoma, and the patient was subsequently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. While uncommon, Kaposi sarcoma in the eyelid region should be considered in the differential diagnosis, as early detection could have significant impact on patient mortality.