title: Spindle cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva: A rare entity.
abstract: An 85-year-old male presented with painless bulging lesion over the cornea. Clinical history, diagnostic imaging studies, and histopathologic sections were evaluated. The patient clinically displayed an vascularized conjunctival lesion located at the superior bulbar conjunctiva with extension onto cornea covering 2/3 of his pupillary aperture superiorly. His visual acuity was counting fingers at 4 m. The patient underwent a total excision of the lesion including conjunctival and corneal parts. Histopathologic evaluation revealed spindle cell carcinoma which involves the whole conjunctival squamous epithelium with significant polarity loss, nuclear enlargement with hyperchromasia and pleomorphism, and mitotic activity. Diagnosis of spindle cell carcinoma is challenging because of overlapping histopathological features with other spindle cell tumors. The detailed pathologic examination is very important for the decision of proper treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coban-Karatas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nebil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Altan-Yaycioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terzi
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035583:Rare Diseases