Epidemiologic Differences and Management of Eyelid Lesions in the Pediatric Population

PURPOSE

To report the relative incidence of excised pediatric eyelid lesions and describe the correlation between the clinical and pathology diagnosis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of 137 consecutive pathology-confirmed eyelid lesions excised at a U.S. quaternary children's hospital system. Chalazion was excluded from this study.

RESULTS

Benign non-cystic epithelial lesions comprised 48.2% of all excised lesions, followed by mesenchymal (14.6%) and cystic (10.2%) lesions. The most common lesions were molluscum contagiosum (21.9%) and verruca vulgaris (19.0%). Hispanic White race represented 62.0% of cases, followed by non-Hispanic White (23.3%) and Black (8.8%). There were no malignant lesions. A specific preoperative clinical diagnosis was attempted in 70.1% of cases. Of these, 60.4% had a matching histopathology.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors report a higher proportion of molluscum contagiosum and verruca vulgaris when compared to the literature; these differences may suggest geographic variance, management preference, or a general increase in incidence. Correlation with pathology showed the clinical diagnosis of eyelid lesions can be challenging even for ophthalmologists. However, malignancy in pediatric eyelid lesions is rare and submission for histopathology may be safely omitted, except in cases with atypical features or suspicion for syndromic disease. The decision for surgery should be methodically approached and take into consideration the most likely diagnosis, natural history of the disease, sociopsychological impact, anesthesia risk, and resource burden. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2022;59(6):405-409.].

Juvenile Xanthogranuloma in a Pediatric Patient with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

Purpose

To report a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma that simulated a chalazion and to discuss the association between juvenile xanthogranuloma and Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Method

Case report and review of literature.

Results

A 13-year-old boy with a prior history of Langerhans cell histiocytosis was referred to our clinic for a possible chalazion. The patient had undergone treatment for Langerhans cell histiocytosis 10 years prior. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy. Histopathology revealed a proliferation of histiocytes and lymphocytes with Touton giant cells, consistent with a diagnosis of juvenile xanthogranuloma.

Conclusions

Though the relationship between Langerhans cell histiocytosis and juvenile xanthogranuloma has yet to be fully elucidated, juvenile xanthogranuloma should be included in the differential diagnosis for any former Langerhans cell histiocytosis patient presenting with a new cutaneous lesion.