Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Eyelid with Apocrine Gland Origin; an Atypical Location

To describe the clinical presentation and treatment of a patient with a cutaneous pleomorphic adenoma of the eyelid.

A 73-year-old male patient presented with a nodular mass on the lateral third of his right upper eyelid, which had slowly enlarged over 10 years. Radiologic features were of an extra-conical mass, with no invasion of adjacent structures. An excisional biopsy of the lesion was performed. The histopathological examination revealed a biphasic tumor, composed of tubules with a double layer of epithelial cells arranged in a chondromyxoid stroma. The inner epithelial cells were positive for pancytokeratins AE1/AE3 and carcinoembryonic antigen. The outer epithelial cells and stromal component expressed vimentin and S100 protein. These pathologic findings were consistent with a palpebral pleomorphic adenoma, with an apocrine gland origin.

Pleomorphic adenomas of the skin are rare tumors, and even less frequent as tumors of the ocular adnexa. These lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of palpebral nodular masses, and complete excision should be attempted due to the possibility of malignant transformation.