Epithelial lacrimal gland tumors: A comprehensive clinicopathologic review of 26 lesions with radiologic correlation

Recurrence rate of pleomorphic adenoma of the lacrimal gland: systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The aim is to increase the understanding of lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma's recurrence rate and the factors that influence it.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The data in the included studies were extracted and analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were included representing 963 patients from 12 different countries. The pooled analysis of the recurrence rate was 8.83% (95% CI: 5.08-13.50). In the event of recurrence, there was a 75.17% (95% CI: 65.98-82.94) chance of benign recurrence and a 28.35% (95% CI: 19.66-38.41) chance of malignant recurrences, with malignant recurrence occurring almost exclusively after a benign recurrence. The results showed that 47.09% (95% CI: 24.60 to 70.22) of recurrent tumors had a ruptured pseudocapsule and 6.35% (95% CI: 0.82 to 16.54) had an intact pseudocapsule with a significant difference between the two. Of the recurrent tumors, 51.50% (95% CI: 9.28 to 92.39) were biopsied compared to 8.83% (95% CI: 3.40 to 16.49) of the total; the difference between these two proportions was also found to be significant.

CONCLUSION

There was a statistically significant difference in the rates of recurrence between tumors that were either biopsied or had a ruptured pseudocapsule compared to those that did not. This evidence adds additional support for excisional biopsy being the procedure of choice for LGPA and reinforces the importance of keeping the pseudocapsule intact during surgical resection.

An unusual case of pleomorphic adenoma of the nasolacrimal duct

Key Clinical Message

Pleomorphic adenoma is a common epithelial tumor but is unusual to involve the nasolacrimal duct and lacrimal sac. Current reported cases are sparse but may be helpful for delineating patterns of malignant transformation in the future.

Abstract

This is a report of a 66-year-old patient with a pleomorphic adenoma involving the nasolacrimal duct and lacrimal sac, which is an unusual location for these tumors. To our knowledge, there are scarce publications in the current literature of similar cases.

A case report: An unusual presentation of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland

RATIONALE

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the most common malignant epithelial tumor of the lacrimal gland with the highest malignant degree. ACC of the lacrimal gland is characterized by symptoms of <1 years duration. We present a 38-year-old male patient who complained of an enlarging mass in the left lacrimal fossa for almost 10 years previous to the diagnosis of ACC.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 38-year-old male patient visited our ophthalmology clinic with a chief complaint of a mass in his left upper lid, which had enlarged significantly over the previous months.

DIAGNOSES

Magnetic resonance imaging with intravenous Gadobutrol showed moderate and homogenous mass enhancement. Bone destruction is found. The periosteum is not eroded. The magnetic resonance imaging finding was supportive for malignancy. Histopathological examination of the specimen revealed solid tumor showing a cribriform pattern mixed small amount of basaloid cell proliferation. Therefore, the final diagnose was Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland.

INTERVENTIONS

The treatment included en bloc resection of the mass and adjacent bone and radiotherapy.

OUTCOMES

In 1 year follow-up after operation, there is no recurrence. Visual acuity is 30/30. The left eye shows limitation on abduction.

LESSONS

The present case demonstrates an unusual progression of ACC of the Lacrimal Gland.

Lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma with contralateral eye and systemic metastasis: A rare case report and review of the literature

Lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma is very rare. It has a high risk of recurrence and metastasis, however, it rarely metastasizes to the contralateral eye in clinical practice. Here, we present a case of a 52-year-old man with lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma who developed multiple recurrences and metastases of another eye and other sites throughout the body after receiving surgical intervention and regular radiotherapy, which will be of ophthalmic interest and unique. Clinical features, imaging findings, histopathology, treatments, and outcomes of this very rare case are provided. A literature review of previously published cases of this disease is performed, with an emphasis on the latest diagnosis and treatment. The prognosis of tumor recurrence and metastasis is poorer, surgery with a negative margin in conjunction with adjuvant therapies is crucial for preventing local recurrence and distant metastasis and enhancing the survival rate.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the orbit with bilateral cavernous sinus extension: A case report

Introduction and importance

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon malignant epithelial tumor of the salivary and lacrimal glands. Orbital ACC is rare, originating commonly from the lacrimal gland, with only a few cases reported without lacrimal gland involvement. Deep orbital ACC may be associated with extension into skull base structures, and further intracranial invasion.

Case presentation

We report a 47-year-old gentleman who presented with insidious onset of bilateral proptosis, left ophthalmoplegia, and loss of vision. Imaging revealed left orbital infiltrative mass with intracranial invasion and bilateral cavernous sinus extension. The lacrimal gland was not involved clinically nor radiologically. Histopathology showed ACC with classical cribriform pattern. There was no evidence of primary source of tumor or metastasis.

Discussion

ACC of the orbit commonly originates from the lacrimal gland. Only a few cases of orbital ACC without lacrimal gland involvement were found in English literature. Workup for our patient did not reveal a primary source of tumor. Tumor may have risen from ectopic orbital lacrimal gland tissue, extension from non-orbital sites, or through perineural or hematogenous spread. Only one case of bilateral cavernous sinus extension has been previously reported. Treatment for advanced orbital ACC is exenteration in most cases. However, due to the advanced nature of disease in our patient, palliative radiotherapy was the treatment of choice.

Conclusion

Orbital ACC of non-lacrimal origin is rare and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and treatment are key for preventing organ and life-threatening complications such as advanced intracranial spread.

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Deep orbital adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is very rare.

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Orbital ACC cases that are not originating from the lacrimal gland have been reported.

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Such cases have worse prognosis due to early intracranial invasion.

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We report the second case of orbital ACC with bilateral cavernous sinus invasion.

Epithelial lacrimal gland tumors in dogs and cats: Is the human WHO classification appropriate for animals?

Lacrimal gland tumors (LGTs) in dogs and cats are rare neoplasms that can affect either the nictitans (NLG) or the main lacrimal gland (MLG). A consistent classification scheme for canine and feline LGTs is lacking; however, the importance of a classification scheme for LGTs has been emphasized in the human literature, and an update to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification has recently been published. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of different subtypes of canine and feline LGTs in accordance with the human WHO classification system. Epithelial LGTs (n = 46 tumors; 38 dogs, 8 cats) were reviewed and immunophenotyping for p63, CK14, SMA, calponin, CKAE1/AE3, and CK19 was performed. Consistent with previous literature reports, lacrimal carcinomas outnumbered adenomas in dogs and cats. Based on the WHO classification of human LGTs, the most common subtypes identified in dogs were pleomorphic, ductal, adenoid cystic, and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. In cats, a lower number of subtypes was observed, and adenocarcinoma "not otherwise specified" (NOS) was the most frequent diagnosis. An uncommon case of feline epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma was also observed. The application of the human WHO-LGT classification scheme to canine and feline tumors increased the diversity of diagnoses and allowed for the identification of numerous subtypes. Further studies to identify possible correlations between pathological subtypes and prognosis are warranted.

Outcomes in patients with lacrimal gland carcinoma treated with definitive radiotherapy or eye-sparing surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy

Background

The optimal treatment for lacrimal gland cancer remains unclear. Eye-preserving surgery, as opposed to exenteration, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), has recently been reported to deliver satisfactory outcomes, but evidence is sparse. The aim of the present study was to evaluate outcomes in patients with lacrimal gland cancer treated at two tertiary medical centers.

Methods

We retrospectively examined data from patients with lacrimal gland cancer who had received eye-preserving surgical treatment followed by adjuvant RT with or without chemotherapy, or (if the tumor was inoperable) needle biopsy with definitive RT with or without chemotherapy. Baseline clinical and pathological characteristics were considered. Outcomes of interest included post-treatment complications, overall survival (OS), locoregional progression-free survival (LPFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS).

Results

Eighteen patients were included. Two-year OS, LPFS, and DMFS rates were 69.0, 76.7, and 71.4%, respectively. Patients with early-stage (T1–T2) lacrimal gland cancer had significantly better outcomes than those with advanced-stage disease (T3–T4). Two-year OS, LPFS, and DMFS rates were each 100% in patients with disease stages T1–T2, and 37.5, 50, and 37.5%, respectively, in those with disease stages T3–T4 (P < 0.05). Orbital complications were well tolerated.

Conclusions

Eye-sparing surgery with adjuvant RT can achieve satisfactory results in patients with T1–T2 lacrimal gland carcinoma. Disease stage T3 and above was associated with poor outcomes even with post-operative RT, likely due to distant metastasis. Adding neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy to current treatment strategies might be a suitable choice for this group of patients.

Value of quantitative multiparametric MRI in differentiating pleomorphic adenomas from malignant epithelial tumors in lacrimal gland

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the quantitative parameters derived from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI in differentiating lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenomas (LGPAs) from lacrimal gland malignant epithelial tumors (LGMETs).

METHODS

Seventy-seven cases with LG epithelial tumors confirmed by histopathology (47 LGPAs and 30 LGMETs) underwent DWI and DCE-MRI. The quantitative parameters including the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), the volume transfer constant (K^trans), the efflux rate constant from the extravascular extracellular space (EES) to blood plasma (K_ep), and the extravascular extracellular volume fraction (V_e) were used to differentiate LGPAs from LGMETs. Independent-samples t test was conducted to compare these parameters. The diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with LGPAs, LGMETs had significantly lower ADC value (1.090 ± 0.169mm²/s) (P < 0.001), higher K^trans value (0.892 ± 0.517/min) (P = 0.001), and K_ep value (1.300 ± 1.131/min) (P = 0.002). ADC as a diagnostic index showed a better diagnostic efficacy in predicting malignant tumors (AUC 0.914, sensitivity 90.0%, specificity 85.1%, and accuracy 87.0%) than K^trans and K_ep alone. The combination of ADC and K^trans presented the optimal diagnostic performance for the differentiation (AUC 0.938, sensitivity 93.3%, specificity 87.2%, accuracy 89.6%).

CONCLUSION

The quantitative parameters including ADC, K^trans, and K_ep derived from DWI and DCE-MRI might be potential imaging biomarkers in differentiating LGPAs from LGMETs. The combination of ADC and K^trans is superior to other quantitative parameters in distinguishing LGPAs from LGMETs.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) as a therapeutic target in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland

Identification of molecular targets is the first step in developing efficacious therapeutic strategies for tumors. A tumors' biological response to perturbagens yields important information on the molecular determinants for tumor growth. The aim of this study was to characterize the response of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland (LGACC) to intra-arterial cytoreductive chemotherapy (IACC) in order to identify novel targets to enhance therapy. We performed high-throughput proteomic analysis on paired samples from pre-IACC diagnostic biopsies and post-IACC excised tumor samples from 6 LGACC patients. This proteomic analysis provides a comprehensive landscape of the cellular compartments contained within the excised tumors. Interestingly, we found a strong upregulation across the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway, with FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) exhibiting a consistent and significant upregulation in all post-IACC samples. We thus evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of a novel FGFR1 selective inhibitor, AZD4547, in combination with cisplatin on LGACC cells in-vitro. The combination index (CI) value (<0.895) demonstrated synergistic effect of AZD4547 and cisplatin in inhibiting cell growth and viability (p<0.02), with a differential response seen in post-IACC cultures when compared to pre-IACC cultures. The combination approach showed synergy of the drugs in the migration assay. Western blot analysis indicated a significant upregulation of cleaved caspase-3 and downregulation the expression of FGFR1 (p<0.05) with the combination treatment as compared to either agent independently. Our findings demonstrate that FGFR1 inhibition potentiates the cytoreductive effects of cisplatin and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of using AZD4547 in the management of LGACC.

Color Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of lacrimal apparatus tumors

Color Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of lacrimal apparatus tumors were investigated. In total, 48 patients undergoing preoperative two-dimensional and color Doppler ultrasound and CEUS examinations were included in this study. Conventional ultrasound and CEUS characteristics of 48 patients pathologically and clinically diagnosed with lacrimal apparatus tumors were retrospectively analyzed. Results of conventional ultrasound of 29 cases with pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland showed moderate-hypoechogenic solid masses in lacrimal gland; CEUS displayed two enhancement modes: High, fast-developed slow-extinct and overall uniform enhancement (20/29, 68.97%) and high, fast-developed slow-extinct, centripetal, uniform or non-uniform enhancement (9/29, 31.03%); after enhancement, the mass edge was clear without changes in size. Results of conventional ultrasound of 6 cases with adenoid cystic carcinoma of lacrimal gland showed hypoechogenic solid masses with unclear edge, irregular form, non-uniform echo, and abundant blood flow signals; the CEUS displayed high, fast-developed fast-extinct and overall uniform enhancement; after enhancement, mass edge was unclear and masses were larger than that in two-dimensional ultrasound. Results of conventional ultrasound of 10 cases with lacrimal sac cyst showed non-uniform, hypoechogenic masses, or cystic solid mixed masses with clear edge but no blood flow signal; the CEUS displayed peripheral circular enhancement and no enhancement inside. Results of conventional ultrasound of 3 cases with adenocarcinoma of lacrimal sac showed hypoechogenic solid masses with unclear edge, irregular form, non-uniform echo inside, and abundant blood flow signals in lacrimal sac; CEUS displayed high, fast-developed fast-extinct and overall uniform enhancement; after enhancement, masses with irregular shapes were obviously larger than that in two-dimensional ultrasound. CEUS shows the microcirculation of tumors and surrounding tissues. Combination of two-dimensional and color Doppler ultrasound can improve the preoperative qualitative diagnosis of tumors and provide references for the selection of operation methods and determination of tumor resection scope.

Low-Grade Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Lacrimal Gland in a Teenaged Patient

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant, locally invasive tumour of the salivary glands and accounts for approximately 35% of all malignancies of the major and minor salivary glands. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma that originated from the lacrimal gland is exceedingly rare in teenage patients, with only a few cases reported. Herein, we report clinical and radiological findings of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from the lacrimal gland in a 15-year-old boy. We suggest that since preoperative imaging findings are not diagnostic for mucoepidermoid carcinoma, histopathologic examination should be performed for definitive diagnosis. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice for low-grade lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Prognostic and predictive role of COX-2, XRCC1 and RASSF1 expression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving radiotherapy

Identification of biomarkers for predicting radiosensitivity would be useful for administering individualized radiotherapy (RT) to patients with esophageal cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), X-ray repair cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1), ras association domain family 1 (RASSF1) protein expression, clinicopathological characteristics, radiosensitivity and survival rate in 76 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who were treated with RT. Positive expression of COX-2, XRCC1 and RASSF1 was identified by immunohistochemistry in 81.6, 52.6 and 59.2% of ESCC cases, respectively. Negative COX-2 expression was associated with tumor (T) stage, node (N) stage, clinical stage and complete response (P<0.05), but not with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation degree, lesion length, progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS; P>0.05). XRCC1 expression was not associated with the clinicopathological features of ESCC, response to RT, PFS or OS. Positive RASSF1 expression was associated with the clinical stage, response to RT, PFS and OS (P<0.05), but not with gender, age, tumor location, T stage, N stage, differentiation degree or the lesion length (P>0.05). In the subgroup analysis, RASSF1 positive/XRCC1 negative expression was correlated with a longer median OS and PFS (P<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that the tumor response and RASSF1 expression were significant prognostic factors. Therefore, positive RASSF1 expression is associated with ESCC RT sensitivity, and may be a useful independent prognostic factor for ESCC.

Surgical resection of invasive adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland and wound closure using a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap

A 64-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of recurrent conjunctivitis. He was evaluated by an ophthalmologist and submitted to a CT scan that revealed an intraconic mass with invasion of the lateral orbital wall. He was operated, the mass was completely removed (with preservation of the intraorbital structures) and the lateral orbital wall rebuilt. The histopathological analysis revealed an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. 4 months later a painful recurrence of the lesion was diagnosed with invasion of the orbital roof and eyelids. After a multidisciplinary discussion and request from the patient, an exenteration of the orbit and removal of the lateral and superior orbital wall and dura mater was performed with the objective of a total resection. The wound and orbit were closed with a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap to ensure closure.