A Case of Primary Lacrimal Adenocarcinoma Equivalent to Salivary Duct Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Tumors of the lacrimal sac are relatively rare. The initial symptoms are non-specific, including excessive lacrimation and swelling of the lacrimal region, so that these tumors are often diagnosed at a late stage. There are various histological types of lacrimal sac tumors, but there have been only few reports of primary malignant tumors of the lacrimal sac equivalent to salivary duct carcinoma.

Case: We report the case of a 61-year-old male patient with a malignant tumor of the lacrimal sac. He was treated by tumor resection with orbital exenteration, removal of a part of the maxilla, neck dissection, and reconstruction with a right scapular skin flap.

Consideration: Although complete surgical removal is preferred, multidisciplinary treatment, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, should be considered, depending on the histological type and results of immunostaining. Since there are reported cases of metastasis and recurrence of lacrimal sac tumors even after 10 years, careful long-term follow-up is necessary.

Conclusions: In this report, we present a rare case of primary malignant tumor of the lacrimal sac equivalent to salivary duct carcinoma. We need to consider multidisciplinary treatment for these tumors, depending on the histology and degree of progression.