Clinicopathological report Periocular tumour of the follicular infundibulum

Tumour of the follicular infundibulum (TFI) is an uncommon, benign lesion of the skin adnexae. Four cases are reported of periocular TFI. In all cases a clinical diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma was made before surgery; however, histopatholog ca examination revealed TFI. This is an epithelial tumour showing differentiation along the lines of the follicular infundibulum. Characteristic features are a shelf-like proliferat on of pale epithelia cells in the upper dermis, attachment to the epidermis and the upper portions of the pilosebaceous units, a dense border of elastic fibres, and palisading of the peripheral cell layer of the tumour plate. This benign tumour has not, to the authors' knowledge, been reported in the ophthalmic literature. It has a non-specific appearance and may be clinically misdiagnosed as naevus sebaceous, xanthoma, seborrhoeic keratosis, or basal cell carcinoma.