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Skull Base 2005; 15(4): 275-280
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-918885
CASE REPORT

Copyright © 2005 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Aggressive Syringomatous Carcinoma of the Orbit

Shingo Hasegawa1 , 6 , Eiji Kohmura2 , Akihiro Ichinose3 , Shinya Tahara3 , Atsushi Azumi4 , Chiho Ohbayashi5 , Ken-ichi Nibu1
  • 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • 2Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • 3Department of Plastic Surgery, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • 4Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • 5Department of Pathology, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
  • 6Department of Otolaryngology, Kohnan General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
19 October 2005 (online)

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ABSTRACT

A 68-year-old woman with an unusual tumor involving the right orbit presented with painful exophthalmos of the right eye. Excision biopsy of her right eyelid was performed. The specimen showed ductal differentiation with comma-like extensions identical to syringoma. Cellular atypia, an invasive growth pattern, and remarkable perineural invasion led to the diagnosis of syringomatous carcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the tumor exhibited maxillary involvement, invading the supraorbital fissure and bone of the middle skull base. The patient underwent craniofacial resection and has been alive with no sign of recurrence for 2 years. This case suggests that wide excision of these tumors with a clear surgical margin using skull base surgical techniques may offer a good prognosis.

KEYWORDS

Syringomatous carcinoma - eccrine sweat glands tumor - orbital tumor - skull base surgery

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Ken-ichi NibuM.D. Ph.D. 

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University

Kusunoki-cho 7-5-1, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan

Email: nibu@med.kobe-u.ac.jp