Clinicopathological Report of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Conjunctiva and Cornea in a Patient with AIDS

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical and histopathological findings of corneal and conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). CASE SUMMARY: A 45-year-old Korean male who had been diagnosed of AIDS 20 years before presented with vascularized mass in the inferotemporal conjunctiva and in the cornea. The patient underwent an en bloc excisional biopsy of the mass, application of mitomycin C, and repeated cycles of freeze-thaw. Histopathology revealed dysplastic squamous epithelium in the full thickness of epithelial layer. Immunohistochemical staining for proliferation markers showed that the tumor had a high proliferation index Ki-67 was positive throughout the full epithelial layer, and both p53 and p16 were positive. The patient had an adjuvant chemotherapy with topical interferon alpha 2b (IFNalpha 2b) for 8 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Given the high proliferation index of the tumor in this patient, close observation and combined adjuvant chemotherapy will be required to prevent recurrence in a patient with AIDS.