ADVANCED STAGE OF FACIAL BASAL CELL CARCINOMA

An eighty years old man presented with a slowly progressing, ulcerative mass near the left eye diagnosed as the advanced stage of facial basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer) which has involved his left eye and orbit, left nostril and left cheek area. According to the patient, it was a very slow growing tumor and has reached this stage over a span of more than ten years. He has been advised removal of his left eye and adjacent structure along with plastic reconstruction of the damaged half of the nose and face. It will be important to excise the tumor along with healthy margins to prevent recurrences. Take home message is that basal cell carcinoma should be excised early to prevent damage to the eye and nearby structures.