Myoepithelioma of the lacrimal gland: Report of a case with spindle cell morphology

Abstract

The case is described of a 23-year-old female patient presenting with unilateral proptosis, headaches, and transient epiphora. Surgery revealed an encapsulated tumour composed exclusively of spindle-shaped cells within a richly vascularised myxoid stroma. Immunohistochemical staining showed focal positivity for smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and glial fibriliary acidic protein. These combined findings are interpreted as providing evidence of a myoepithelioma, which may be regarded as a monomorphic adenoma consisting solely of myoepithelial cells. To our knowledge this is only the second report of such a tumour in the lacrimal gland.