Eyewear, cataracts, and periorbital basal cell carcinoma.

Ultraviolet exposure is an important risk factor for basal cell carcinoma. Since eyewear may have a photoprotective effect, this study evaluated the use of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses in patients with periorbital basal cell carcinoma compared with other facial sites. There was no difference in prescription eyewear use between the groups, and only four patients in each group had regularly worn glasses since childhood. There was an increased occurrence of cataracts and cataract surgery in the group of patients with periorbital tumors, which may indicate a greater cumulative ultraviolet exposure to the orbital and periorbital sites in these patients.