Objetivos: Estudar a incidência de tumores malignos de pálpebra no Hospital Banco de Olhos de Porto Alegre. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo dos casos de tumores malignos de pálpebra no período de 1985 a 1997, que tiveram diagnóstico confirmado por exame anátomopatológico. Resultados: Foram encontradas 54 neoplasias malignas, sendo 75,92% carcinoma basocelular, 12,96% carcinoma espinocelular, 7,40% melanoma e 1,85% lentigo maligna. A maioria dos pacientes apresentava mais de 40 anos e não houve prevalência de sexo. Conclusões: O tumor de pálpebra mais freqüente em nosso meio foi o carcinoma basocelular, seguido do carcinoma espinocelular. O melanoma foi o terceiro em freqüência mais encontrado em nossa pesquisa.

Purposes: To study the incidence of eyelid malignant tumors in the Banco de Olhos Hospital of Porto Alegre from 1985 to 1997. Methods: We retrospectivelly analyzed clinical archives and in this study all cases of malignant eyelid tumors with histopathologic examination were included. Results: We found 54 eyelid tumors: 75.92% basal cell, 12.96% squamous cell, 7.40% melanoma, 1.85% undifferentiated carcinoma and 1.85% lentigo maligna. The majority of the patients was over 40 years old, 50% were male and 50% female. The diagnosis was confirmed in all cases through histopathologic examination. Conclusions: Basal cell carcinoma was the most frequent eyelid malignancy followed by squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma was the third most frequently found tumor in our study.