Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 24, 2025
Author Spotlight: Anterior HR-OCT as a Non-Invasive Tool for Characterizing Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia
Published on: August 9, 2024
Metastatic conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma: a study of 5 patients
Vijitha S Vempuluru1, Harini Indusekhar2, Ashik Mohamed3
1Operation Eyesight, Universal Institute for Eye Cancer (VSV, SK), L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, 500034, India.
Purpose:
To describe the risk factors, clinical features, management, and outcomes in patients with metastatic conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (mcSCC).
Methods:
Retrospective comparative study.
Results:
Of the 1192 cases with ocular surface squamous neoplasia during the study period, 654 (55%) patients were biopsied and 223 (19%) had invasive squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Of these 223 patients with cSCC, locoregional metastasis developed in 4 (2%) and distant metastasis in 1 (0.4%) patient. Mean age at diagnosis of OSSN was 48 years (median, 40 years; range 35-74 years). Tumors belonged to T2 (n = 2; 40%) and T4a (n = 3; 60%) at presentation. Primary treatment modalities included topical and subconjunctival interferon α 2B immunotherapy (n = 2; 40%), extended enucleation (n = 1; 20%) and orbital exenteration (n = 2; 40%). Metastases were noted after a mean period of 22 months of onset of primary tumor (median, 18 months; range 2-46 months). Death from metastatic disease occurred in all patients over a mean follow-up period of 21 months (median, 11 months; range 1-46 months). Bivariate regression analysis revealed smoking (p = 0.037, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.13), tumor thickness ≥ 5 mm (p = 0.015, OR = 17.78), orbital invasion (p = 0.018, OR = 1.00), and poor histopathological differentiation (p = 0.031, OR = 10.44) to be significant risk factors for mcSCC.
Conclusion:
Metastatic disease in cSCC is rare and risk factors for metastasis include smoking, thicker tumors, orbital tumor extension, and poor tumor differentiation. mcSCC is associated with high mortality.
