Suspected multiple primary tumors of the lacrimal and parotid glands.

A 63-year-old man had apparent primary tumors of the lacrimal and parotid glands. Initially an adenocarcinoma of ectopic lacrimal gland origin was suspected following biopsy of a mass in the left orbit. The patient received radiation therapy to this area and showed no recurrence of the original lesion or development of other tumors for a period of 27 months. At that time, the patient returned with a mass in the left preauricular area. This was surgically resected and found to be an adenocarcinoma of the left parotid gland. Both tumors were histologically similar, mucin-secreting adenocarcinomas. There has been no further evidence of tumor growth in an additional three-year period.