In this retrospective analysis, clinical records were reviewed of all patients diagnosed with
adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, at a single institution, between March 1998 and November 2012. Ten patients were identified as having undergone eye-sparing surgery and
adjuvant radiotherapy for
adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Preoperative radiographic findings, treatment modalities, histological results, and patient outcomes were analyzed.
RESULTS: There were 6 male and 4 female patients. The patients'
tumors were staged according to the 8th American Joint Committee on
Cancer staging system, and were as follows: 1 patient was classified as T1aN0M0; 6 patients were classified as T2aN0M0; 1 patient was classified as T2cN0M0; 2 patients were classified as T3aN0M0. All patients had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of lacrimal gland
adenoid cystic carcinoma, which was confined to the orbit, and was without extension into adjacent bone marrow or other organs. All patients underwent eye-sparing
tumor excision followed by postoperative
radiotherapy, with a median dose of 6000 cGy (range: 5000-6600 cGy). At the last follow up, 8 patients were alive without evidence of disease. One patient was deceased at 58 months post-surgery, due to esophageal
carcinoma; this was unrelated to the lacrimal gland
tumor. The final patient experienced
tumor recurrence in the medial orbit 53 months post-surgery, and exenteration was performed. This patient was alive, without disease recurrence, at 90 months following exenteration. The median follow-up time was 89.5 months (range: 37-217 months). Systemic
metastasis did not occur in any patient.
CONCLUSIONS: