Lumps and bumps
The skin of the upper face and eyelid is complex and delicate. All sorts of lumps and bumps develop in this region, and some interfere with vision.
There are basically 2 types of lumps and bumps:
- Cancerous
- Non-cancerous
Any non-painful growing lump should be considered cancerous, and any pigmented spot that is changing should be considered melanomatous cancer requiring urgent care. The most common type of non-melanomatous cancerous lump is a Basal cell carcinoma, and the second most common type is a squamous cell carcinoma. Clearance of these tumours is best achieved with Mohs surgery.
Of the non-cancerous lumps, the most common are as follows:
- Squamous papilloma
- Seborrheic keratosis (age spots)
- Chalazion
- Fatty deposits (Xanthelasma)
- Hairy nevi
Squamous papilloma and seborrheic keratoses are benign growths of skin that can be treated in office using radiofrequency removal which removes the risk of scarring.
Chalazion is an enlargement of the oily glands of the eyelids. They can be painful or become infected, and treated by draining the blocked glands, carried out in the office. Sometimes, tablets are also required to settle down oil gland disease.
Fatty deposits (Xanthelasma) are tricky white spots that slowly enlarge at the inner part of the upper and lower eyelids. They are not related to high blood fats and cholesterol, and permanent correction is best done when the spots are small. Specialist surgery is required to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Hairy nevi are large well-defined bumps that grow hair. These are often called birth spots or beauty spots. They are variably pigmented, and don’t grow over time. In most cases, we leave them alone, but they can appear on the eyelid and cause irritation and discomfort. When this occurs, they are removed surgically.
Surgery of the eyes and face is our area of expertise. If you are concerned about a bump or lump and would like to investigate it further, give one of our friendly staff a call on:
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