[Myoepithelial carcinoma of the lacrimal gland].
BACKGROUND
Myoepithelial carcinomas are unusual tumors most often located in salivary glands. It is very rarely located in lacrimal glands; only 5 cases have been reported. We report a sixth case.


METHODS
An 88-year-old male patient presented with diplopia, painless right sided exophthalmia, as well as eyeball deviation due to a tumor located at upper external quadrant of the orbit. A biopsy initially suggested a sarcoma. The pathological analysis of the biopsy allowed diagnosing a myoepithelial carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Despite the monoblock resection of the tumor, a recurrence was observed 3 months after removal. The patient died 8 months after the initial surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
This case illustrates the clinical and pathological characteristics of a myoepithelial carcinoma. This tumor has a high grade of malignancy, and is very rarely described in lacrimal glands. The morphological diagnosis of this tumor is difficult with a problematic differential diagnosis with fusiform cells sarcomas (leiomyosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma), and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.
Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale et plastique de la face, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours cedex, France.
A
A
Moret
Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours, France.
F
F
Tabareau-Delalande
Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale et plastique de la face, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours cedex, France.
A
A
Joly
Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours, France.
A
A
de Muret
Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale et plastique de la face, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours cedex, France.
D
D
Goga
Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale et plastique de la face, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours cedex, France. Electronic address: laure@med.univ-tours.fr.
B
B
Laure
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005094:Exophthalmos / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009208:Myoepithelioma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
Carcinoma; Carcinome; Glande lacrymale; Lacrimal gland; Sarcoma; Sarcome