Metastatic conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma: a study of 5 patients.

PURPOSE: To describe the risk factors, clinical features, management, and outcomes in patients with metastatic conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (mcSCC).

METHODS

Retrospective comparative study.

RESULTS

Of the 1192 cases with ocular surface squamous neoplasia during the study period, 654 (55%) patients were biopsied and 223 (19%) had invasive squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Of these 223 patients with cSCC, locoregional metastasis developed in 4 (2%) and distant metastasis in 1 (0.4%) patient. Mean age at diagnosis of OSSN was 48 years (median, 40 years; range 35-74 years). Tumors belonged to T2 (n = 2; 40%) and T4a (n = 3; 60%) at presentation. Primary treatment modalities included topical and subconjunctival interferon α 2B immunotherapy (n = 2; 40%), extended enucleation (n = 1; 20%) and orbital exenteration (n = 2; 40%). Metastases were noted after a mean period of 22 months of onset of primary tumor (median, 18 months; range 2-46 months). Death from metastatic disease occurred in all patients over a mean follow-up period of 21 months (median, 11 months; range 1-46 months). Bivariate regression analysis revealed smoking (p = 0.037, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.13), tumor thickness ≥ 5 mm (p = 0.015, OR = 17.78), orbital invasion (p = 0.018, OR = 1.00), and poor histopathological differentiation (p = 0.031, OR = 10.44) to be significant risk factors for mcSCC.

CONCLUSION

Metastatic disease in cSCC is rare and risk factors for metastasis include smoking, thicker tumors, orbital tumor extension, and poor tumor differentiation. mcSCC is associated with high mortality.