Clinical and computed tomographic characteristics of amyloid tumor of the lacrimal gland.

BACKGROUND

Lacrimal gland masses, whose soft-tissue contour analysis, on computed tomographic (CT) scanning, shows molding to surrounding orbital structures, include inflammatory and lymphoproliferative lesions. The authors present a patient with orbital amyloidosis isolated to the lacrimal gland who also demonstrates this specific CT presentation. In addition, the literature on this rare condition is reviewed, and characterization of the typical presentation is provided.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the four previously reported patients and the authors' additional patient with amyloid tumor of the lacrimal gland was performed. A summary of the clinical characteristics of the disorder was formulated. Special attention was given to to the unique CT findings of the authors' patient.

RESULTS

Five patients with amyloid tumor of the lacrimal gland have been described. All patients have been women, with average age of 53 years, and who had the primary, localized variant of the disease. Neither visual impairment nor evidence of optic nerve dysfunction has developed in any of the patients. In the authors' patient, the CT soft-tissue contour analysis of the lacrimal gland mass demonstrated molding to adjacent orbital tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

Amyloidosis of the lacrimal gland presents as a primary, localized disease process. It typically affects middle-aged women without visual morbidity. The early CT findings may mimic those seen in inflammatory or lymphoproliferative disorders of the lacrimal gland.