[Myoepithelial carcinoma of the lacrimal gland]

Myoepithelial carcinomas are unusual tumors most often located in salivary glands. It is very rarely located in lacrimal glands; only 5 cases have been reported. We report a sixth case.

An 88-year-old male patient presented with diplopia, painless right sided exophthalmia, as well as eyeball deviation due to a tumor located at upper external quadrant of the orbit. A biopsy initially suggested a sarcoma. The pathological analysis of the biopsy allowed diagnosing a myoepithelial carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Despite the monoblock resection of the tumor, a recurrence was observed 3 months after removal. The patient died 8 months after the initial surgery.

This case illustrates the clinical and pathological characteristics of a myoepithelial carcinoma. This tumor has a high grade of malignancy, and is very rarely described in lacrimal glands. The morphological diagnosis of this tumor is difficult with a problematic differential diagnosis with fusiform cells sarcomas (leiomyosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma), and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.