BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumour of the skin in Caucasians. It often appears on the eyelids but there are no population-based studies on the incidence of BCC of the eyelid in Nordic countries. METHODS: The mean annual incidence rates of BCC of the eyelid in the region of South-Western Finland from 1977 to 1997 were calculated. RESULTS: The mean annual incidence (per 100,000 population) of BCC of the eyelid showed a statistically significant increase from 0.82 (in 1977-1979) to 2.88 (in 1995-1997). The incidence of BCC of the eyelid was 0.8 in the age group of 30-49 years and rose significantly with age (P