Deeply invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva: case report

A 82-year-old man had a bulbar exophytic mass protruding through the lids and extending from the nasal side of the limbus to the caruncola in one eye. The lesion appeared 9 months before as a limbal nodule and showed a painless, slow evolution, ultimately leading to enucleation. The histopathologic examination of the neoplasm and eyeball showed an invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva which invaded the deep subepithelial tissue and reached the scleral surface. The evolution and pathologic features of this uncommon neoplasm were similar to that described in other cases previously reported. Such a clinical course is suggestive also of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the conjunctiva, which closely resembles squamous cell carcinoma, but is more aggressive and locally invasive. However, after staining for mucin, this diagnosis was ruled out.