Clinicopathologic features of biopsied lacrimal gland masses in 95 Korean patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of lacrimal gland masses biopsied in a tertiary referral hospital in Korea.

METHODS

Records from 95 Korean patients who underwent lacrimal gland mass biopsy were retrospectively reviewed. Data included demographics, clinical presentation, imaging findings, histopathologic diagnosis, and associated systemic disease.

RESULTS

The median age was 52.0 years (range, 16-76 years), and 51 patients (53.7%) were female. Thirty-three patients (34.7%) had bilateral disease. The histopathologic diagnoses were as follows: chronic dacryoadenitis (52.6%, n = 50;29 non-specific and 21 immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD)), lymphoproliferative disease (25.5%, n = 24; 18 lymphoma and six lymphoid hyperplasia), benign epithelial tumour (13.7%, 13 pleomorphic adenoma), malignant epithelial tumour (3.2%, three adenoid cystic carcinoma), dacryops (3.2%, n = 3), solitary fibrous tumour (1.1%, n = 1), and xanthogranulomatous inflammation (1.1%, n = 1). Patients with chronic dacryoadenitis were significantly more likely to be younger (mean 47.5 years), have bilateral involvement (52.0%), and have a longer symptom period (mean 15.6 months) than those with lymphoproliferative disease (60.0 years, 25.0%, and 6.7 months, respectively; p < 0.05, each comparison). Patients with IgG4-related dacryoadenitis were significantly more likely to have bilateral involvement (85.7%) and have associated systemic involvement (52.4%) than those with non-specific dacryoadenitis (37.9 and 0%, respectively; p < 0.05, each comparison). Sixteen patients (16.8%) had associated systemic involvement: 11 with IgG4-RD and 5 with lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic dacryoadenitis and lymphoproliferative disease were the most common causes of lacrimal gland masses in our cohort. Younger patients with bilateral involvement and a longer symptom period were more likely to have chronic dacryoadenitis than lymphoproliferative disease. Associated systemic involvement was not rare in patients with IgG4-RD or lymphoma. Our results suggest that biopsy of chronic lacrimal gland masses should be performed for proper evaluation and management.