title: Ten-year follow-up of a case series of primary epithelial neoplasms of the lacrimal gland: clinical features, surgical treatment and histopathological findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and analyze the features of a cases series of patients with primary epithelial neoplasms of the lacrimal gland, its surgical treatment, and histopathological findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective evaluation of files from patients with primary epithelial neoplasms of the lacrimal gland in the period from 1997 to 2007. All patients with primary epithelial tumors of the lacrimal gland were included in this study. Data on gender, age, clinical features, surgical treatment, histopathological findings and follow-up were collected. The slides with histological sections of the tumors were reviewed by the same pathologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, there were 12 patients, 5 (41.7%) with benign tumors, all pleomorphic adenomas (benign mixed tumor) and 7 (58.3%) with malignant neoplasms, thus distributed: four cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma, two of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and one carcinoma expleomorphic adenoma. Globally, patients mean age was 54.1 years-old (ranging from 14 to 70 years-old), with mean age of 52.4 years-old (ranging from 14 to 65 years-old) for benign neoplasms, and 55.3 years-old for malignant neoplasms (ranging from 26 to 70 years-old). Clinical follow-up information, ranging from 2 to 10 years-old, was available for all patients. Three patients developed distant metastasis and died of disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most frequent primary epithelial neoplasms of the lacrimal gland were pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma during the study period. Malignant tumors were more frequent than benign tumors. The histopathological diagnosis and the disease initial stage can play a significant role in patient's survival.
authors.affiliation: Corneal and External Disease Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Santa Casa de Misericórdia São Paulo - São Paulo (SP) - Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Ribeiro
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Renato Wendell Ferreira
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Damasceno
authors.forename: Fernanda Silva Lopes
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: de Pontes
authors.forename: Sylvia Regina T
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cursino
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki-Dantas
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vital Filho
authors.forename: Paulo Elias Correa
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dantas
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000473:pathology*; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult