[Tumor of the caruncle of uncertain malignancy]

A sixty year old woman presented with a tumor of the caruncle that had persisted for one year. Ophthalmologic history was unremarkable. Physical examination disclosed an indolent, tight elastic, highly vascularizated tumor. The lesion measured five millimeter in diameter. Histopathology revealed tall columnar cells with small round nuclei. The cytoplasm stained positive with hematoxylin and eosin. The typical histopathologic features were consistent with an oncocytoma.

Tumors of the caruncle are very heterogenous because the caruncle contains tissues of the conjunctiva and the epidermis. Therefore to exclude a malignant process an excisional biopsy should always be performed even so in general tumors of the caruncle are benign. The most frequent tumors of the caruncle are papilloma, nevi, pyogenic granuloma, epithelial inclusion cyst and chronic inflammation. In only 4 % of the cases oncocytomas are found even the oncocytoma is considered to be a typical tumor of the caruncle.