Isolated primary sebaceous gland carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva

To report a rare case of primary sebaceous gland carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva without palpebral involvement.

A 76-year-old male was referred to the cornea service for a suspicious lesion on the limbal conjunctiva and cornea of his left eye. On exam, there was a large fibrovascular growth with conjunctivalization of the cornea from 2:00 to 10:00 extending 6mm onto the cornea. Patient underwent treatment with 5-fluouracil, followed by excisional biopsy with cryotherapy. Histopathologic examination demonstrated poorly differentiated sebaceous gland carcinoma. Subsequent map biopsies of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva of the left eye were performed and ruled out pagetoid spread.

Primary sebaceous gland carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva without eyelid involvement is a rare phenomenon. Our patient joins a few case reports in the literature. Of these cases, we are the second case to utilize 5-flurouracil preoperatively. We recommend clinicians consider sebaceous carcinoma on their differential when ocular surface neoplasms diagnosed as other conditions do not respond to conventional therapies.