[Primary epithelial lacrimal gland tumors: the pathologic classification of 272 cases]

This paper reports the pathologic classification of 272 cases with primary epithelial lacrimal gland tumors in comparison with that of the salivary glands. The extensive series of lacrimal gland tumors accounts for 70% of the 390 lacrimal fossa lesions and 18% of the 1,530 orbital tumors in one single hospital. Benign mixed tumors ranked the first (52%), adenocystic carcinomas the second (25%) and malignant mixed tumors (9%) the third. Among the other less common tumors the authors identified, for the first time, 3 polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas, 2 spindle celled myoepitheliomas and 1 carcinosarcoma of the lacrimal gland. The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma and spindle cell myoepithelioma were discussed.