LACRIMAL GLAND MALIGNANCIES

Course overview

LACRIMAL GLAND MASSES CAN ARISE FROM MANY ETIOLOGIES, INCLUDING NEOPLASTIC AND NON-NEOPLASTIC CAUSES. OF THE NEOPLASTIC CAUSES, THE MALIGNANT TUMORS GENERALLY HAVE A POOR PROGNOSIS AND THUS ARE TREATED AGGRESSIVELY. THIS USUALLY INVOLVES A COMBINATION OF EXTENSIVE SURGICAL RESECTION (OFTEN ORBITAL EXENTERATION), RADIATION, AND CHEMOTHERAPY. THE MOST NOTABLE EXCEPTION IS ORBITAL LYMPHOMA, WHICH IS NOT TREATED SURGICALLY. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN TREATMENT STRATEGIES INVOLVING INTRA-ARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY PRIOR TO SURGICAL RESECTION OF ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMA, THE MOST COMMON MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL LACRIMAL GLAND TUMOR, MAY OFFER A NEW DIRECTION FOR IMPROVING PATIENT OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT LACRIMAL GLAND TUMORS AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THESE CONDITIONS.