title: Conjunctival mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a young HIV-infected man.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of conjunctival mucoepidermoid carcinoma occurring in a long-standing pterygium in a 33-year-old Cambodian man infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of clinical history and histopathologic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A pterygium that was present for 8 years suddenly became highly inflamed and underwent rapid growth. After the initial diagnostic conjunctival and corneal biopsy showed mucoepidermoid carcinoma, subsequent additional deep excisions of the adjacent sclera and cornea were necessary to completely excise the tumor. Cytokeratin and mucicarmine stains were used to confirm the pathologic diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unique features of this case include the extremely young age of the patient (perhaps rendered susceptible by his HIV infection), the tumor masquerading as a pterygium, and the use of a hybrid lamellar and full-thickness corneoscleral resection requiring a complementary graft. Seventeen months after the resection, the patient is free of tumor; this was histopathologically confirmed with multiple random conjunctival biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Soong
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Feil
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Elner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flint
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002329:Carmine; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011625:Pterygium / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; C029618:mucicarmine; D007633:Keratins; D002329:Carmine