The effect of direct cell injury inflicted by cryotherapy on eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma cells: An ex-vivo experimental study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of direct cell injury of cryotherapy on eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma cells by an ex vivo cryotherapy experiment. Methods: It was a prospective interventional case series. Six patients with biopsy?proven nodular sebaceous gland carcinoma were included. After excision of the mass, a thin slice of the mass resembling the thickness of the conjunctiva was shaved off and was oriented over the broad end of a tissue forceps. Cryotherapy was applied to both its anterior and posterior aspects by the triple freeze?thaw technique. The mass was then labeled and sent separately for histopathological evaluation by fixation and staining. Results: A total of six patients with a mean age of 58.2 ± 15.5 years were included. There were four females and two males. The mean duration of the lesion was 21.6 ± 17.51 months. All patients had involvement of the upper eyelid. The patients were clinically staged as T2b (n=2), T1a (n=2), T2c (n=1), and T3a (n=1) respectively. There was no regional lymphadenopathy or metastasis in any of the cases. The experimental cryo?tissue containing the cryo?treated lesion revealed the presence of viable tumor cells (>50%) in all six specimens. Conclusion: The direct cell injury caused by cryotherapy may not be sufficient to kill all the residual sebaceous gland carcinoma cells on the tumor bed.