What is adenoid cystic carcinoma of lacrimal gland?
Adenoid cystic carcinoma Definition: Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a malignant tumor arising in the lacrimal gland and is composed of malignant ductular elements. Incidence/ Prevalence: The most common primary malignant tumor of the lacrimal gland. Etiology: Unknown but numerous candidate genes have been identified. Increased copy number has been noted at 22q13 for salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma. Adenoid cystic carcinoma can arise in benign mixed tumor or de novo in the lacrimal gland. Clinical Findings: The typical presentation is a 40 year old (median age) with less than 8 months of pain in the upper lateral orbit, numbness, diplopia and proptosis. The tumor is slightly more common in women than in men. The age range is about 8-80 and some authors believe there is a bimodal pattern, the young and the old. The pain symptoms, characteristic of this neoplasm, arise from infiltration of nerves and bone involvement.
