A Case of Primary Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Lower Eyelid

Abstract

Purpose: To report a rare case of a recurrent painless mass of the right lower eyelid, which was histologically diagnosed as a mucinous adenocarcinoma. Case summary: A 59-year-old male had a painless nodule on the right lower eyelid for 2 years. He had a history of five laser treatments done by a dermatologist prior to the initial presentation. Surgical shave biopsy was performed and a histopathological examination revealed a mucinous adenocarcinoma. We subsequently performed a pentagonal excision of the lower eyelid with assisted frozen biopsy until no tumor cells were seen at the margin. A postoperative whole-body positron emission tomography scan, chest computerized tomography, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and colonoscopy excluded systemic metastases. No recurrence has been observed for 18 months after the surgery. Conclusions: Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma is a rare disorder of the eyelid. Because it has various morphologies, and the final diagnosis can only be made by histopathological examination. If there is a recurrent mass at the eyelid margin, adenocarcinoma should be considered as the differential diagnosis. A complete surgical excision is recommended to prevent local recurrence.

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the eyelid

“… 1 It was first identified in 1952 by Lennox et al 2 Since then, less than 55 cases of PMA of the eyelid have been reported in the literature in English. 3 Previously, this tumor had been reported under several names, including colloid, adenocystic, gelatinous and mucinous eccrine carcinoma. Historically, this tumor was classified as eccrine, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified PMA under both eccrine and apocrine differentiation.…”