Sentinel lymph node biopsy for sebaceous cell carcinoma and melanoma of the ocular adnexa.

OBJECTIVE: To provide clinical details and long-term outcome data for a series of patients with eyelid or conjunctival melanoma or eyelid sebaceous cell carcinoma who underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series with review of clinical records and pathologic specimens. SETTING: Tertiary comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS: Twenty-five consecutive patients treated at 1 institution for eyelid or conjunctival melanoma or eyelid sebaceous cell carcinoma from December 2000 to October 2004. INTERVENTIONS: Surgical removal of the eyelid or conjunctival tumor and SLN biopsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Local treatment modalities; lymphatic basins in which SLNs were identified; status of SLNs; false-negative rate; and long-term patterns of local recurrence, regional and distant metastasis, and survival. RESULTS: Seven patients had conjunctival melanoma, 8 had eyelid-margin melanoma with a considerable palpebral conjunctival component, and 10 had eyelid sebaceous cell carcinoma. The SLNs were identified in all but 1 patient by using technetium Tc 99m sulfur colloid as a tracer. Intraoperatively, in 16 patients in whom blue dye was used in addition to technetium Tc 99m sulfur colloid during mapping, no SLN was blue. One patient with conjunctival melanoma and 1 patient with eyelid melanoma had a histologically positive SLN. Two patients with eyelid melanoma and 2 patients with eyelid sebaceous cell carcinoma had negative findings from SLN biopsy but developed recurrence in their regional lymph nodes during the follow-up period. Overall, during follow-up, 2 of 10 patients with sebaceous cell carcinoma (20%) and 5 of 15 patients with eyelid or conjunctival melanoma (33%) had regional lymph node metastasis. Four patients with melanoma who had regional metastasis also developed distant organ metastasis. Two patients with sebaceous cell carcinoma--1 with regional metastasis and 1 without--developed distant organ metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of histologically positive SLNs in this series of patients may justify further study of SLN biopsy for high-risk patients with ocular adnexal melanoma or eyelid sebaceous cell carcinoma. The false-negative rate is higher than that reported for SLN biopsy at most other anatomic sites. Patients with negative findings from SLN biopsy still require careful long-term follow-up because they may develop regional or distant metastasis.

Ultrasound biomicroscopy for estimation of tumor thickness for conjunctival melanoma.

We assessed the feasibility of using high-frequency ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in estimating thickness of conjunctival melanomas preoperatively. Three patients underwent UBM prior to excision of conjunctival melanoma between February 2003 and March 2006. Conjunctival tumor thickness was estimated via UBM in each case and compared with the estimated histopathologic tumor thickness (Breslow thickness). Patient 1 had an estimated thickness of 1.99 mm via UBM versus a Breslow thickness measurement of 1.5 mm based on the surgical specimen. Patient 2 had a UBM thickness measurement of 2.4 mm and a Breslow thickness of 2.23 mm based on the surgical specimen. In patient 3, both UBM thickness and Breslow thickness were 2.3 mm. The use of high-frequency UBM is feasible for the estimation of tumor thickness for conjunctival melanomas. UBM may serve as an additional diagnostic tool for estimating tumor thickness before surgical resection of conjunctival melanoma.

Bloody tears of unknown cause: case series and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: To report 4 cases of recurrent unilateral bloody tears. METHODS: Retrospective case series. RESULTS: One boy and 3 girls, ranging in age from 6 to 14 years, reported spontaneous bloody tearing. Workup included probing and irrigation of the nasolacrimal system, blood and coagulation profiles, blood typing, serum hormone levels, conjunctival biopsy, and imaging. All findings were normal and failed to suggest a cause in any of the cases. In all patients, bloody tearing eventually resolved without further sequela. No recurrence has been reported over a follow-up period of 9 months to 11 years. CONCLUSIONS: Bloody tearing is an unusual clinical entity that concerns patients and can perplex physicians. A thorough examination and proper workup are necessary to rule out serious conditions but may fail to determine a cause. These idiopathic cases typically resolve without treatment.

Sutureless transconjunctival repair of orbital blowout fractures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate early postoperative results and complications in patients who underwent repair of isolated orbital floor blowout fractures with placement of nonfixed implants through a transconjunctival and sutureless incision. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 26 cases of isolated floor fractures repaired by this technique. Criteria for inclusion in this study were transconjunctival approach, nonfixed orbital implants, and sutureless closure. Early postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (16 male, 10 female) underwent repair of an isolated floor fracture and were followed after surgery for 1 to 26 months. No eyelid malposition, infection, or implant extrusion occurred. However, 1 patient (3.8%) had early migration of the orbital implant that did not require further intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Repair of orbital floor blowout fractures with a nonfixed implant through the transconjunctival approach and sutureless closure provides an excellent functional and cosmetic result.

Retained intraorbital metallic foreign bodies.

PURPOSE: To document the biological tolerance of retained metallic orbital foreign bodies managed with conservative treatment. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 43 patients treated between 1987 and 1993 with retained intraorbital metallic foreign bodies was performed. Age, sex, injury, imaging studies obtained, location of the foreign body, initial and final visual acuity, length of follow-up, treatment, and related adverse reactions and/or complications were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty cases involving 34 male and 9 female patients ranging in age from 2 through 63 years (median, 25 years) were included. Seventeen cases were the result of gunshot wounds, 17 were from BB gun injuries, and 16 cases were from shotgun injuries. Forty-two patients had CT scans to assess the injury and one patient had plain radiographs. In 37 cases, the metallic foreign bodies were located posterior to the globe. There were 19 ocular penetrating injuries, 11 ocular contusion injuries (sclopetaria, commotio retinae, vitreous hemorrhages), and 20 injuries with no ocular involvement. Initial visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to no light perception, as did final visual acuity. The metallic foreign bodies were retained from 6 months to 68 years (median, 2 years). There were 19 ocular penetrating injuries, including 12 enucleations and 7 primary repairs. When contusion injuries were sustained, treatment consisted of vitrectomy for the removal of persistent hemorrhages (3 cases), exploration of the globe (1 case), and nonsurgical treatment (7 cases). Among the 20 cases with no ocular involvement, only 2 patients had secondary complications that required surgical intervention: One had mechanical strabismus, the other a sterile abscess. Visual acuity remained stable or improved in all cases. There were no late complications from the retained foreign bodies in 36 (95%) of 38 cases when the eye remained intact. CONCLUSIONS: Retained intraorbital metallic foreign bodies are well-tolerated and typically have minimal adverse visual prognosis. They should be managed conservatively in the absence of specific indications for removal.