Lacrimal gland tumor
Synonyms in a broader sense
Medical: Glandula lacrimalis (lacrimal gland), lacrimal gland tumor, tear gland cancer
introduction
Like all other organs, the lacrimal gland has both malignant and benign tumors. They differ in their growth pattern and their ability to scatter.
General
Fortunately, benign tumors are more common than their malignant counterparts. The word tumor in the real sense just means swelling. Hence, they can be both benign and malignant. A tumor is then classified as malignant (malignant) means when it destroys the surrounding healthy tissue through its growth and when it has the ability to spread metastases in the body. A benign tumor still remains a tumor, but does not destroy surrounding tissue and rarely or never spreads metastases to other organs.
also read: Inflammation of the lacrimal gland
Anatomy eye
- Lacrimal gland
- Eye muscle
- eyeball
- Iris
- pupil
- Eye socket
Benign tumor
The most common tumor of the lacrimal gland is that benign adenoma. Adenomas are benign tumors that originate from glandular tissue. They can occur in any glandular tissue (including salivary glands, thyroid, etc.). The adenoma develops slowly and over time displaces the eyeball in a nasal direction (towards the nose) below. Double vision and movement disorders of the eye only appear late. The diagnosis is usually made using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Removal is recommended as a therapy in the healthy. This means that the adenoma is completely removed without leaving any residue. This is the aim, since recurrences (recurring tumors) usually degenerate into malignant form.
Malignant tumor
Malignant tumors of the lacrimal gland are rare. Usually there are mixed tumors made up of glandular and cystic (cysts are cavities filled with fluid).
What are the symptoms of the tumor?
There are different types of lacrimal gland tumors, a distinction is made between malignant and benign. The symptoms are usually similar in all species. In most cases, tumors of the lacrimal glands are initially expressed by increasing swelling in the area of the eyelid.
The other symptoms depend on the direction of growth. Some tumors grow outward so that they become visible early and can cause problems with the eyelid closure. If they in turn grow inward, changes in the eyeball, shifts and visual disturbances can occur. For example, squinting of the eye can occur.
In addition, the swelling can be very tender on pressure. Frequent itching of the eyes or spilled substances can cause redness in the eye. In the case of a malignant tumor, one usually speaks of a painless swelling, while a painful swelling suggests an acute inflammation of the lacrimal gland.
When do you have to operate?
If the diagnosis of a tumor of the lacrimal gland is made, surgical removal is the first choice in most cases. The decision depends less on a malignant or a benign diagnosis, but more on the patient's level of suffering. Because even a benign tumor can lead to severe visual disturbances and visual field deficits and also have cosmetic consequences. Therefore, surgery is recommended.
How do you operate?
During surgical removal (Extirpation) an attempt is made to remove the tumor as a whole. The operation is performed under or local anesthesia, depending on the extent of the tumor. With local anesthesia, only the area of the eye is treated with a drug so that no pain is felt there. Usually the patients are put into a half-sleep.
Then first the borders of the tumor are carefully exposed and vessels and nerves are shown. Affecting vessels are clamped off to prevent bleeding. Then the tumor is cut off at the border, or in most cases a safety margin of one centimeter from the healthy tissue is also cut out to make sure that the tumor could be removed as a whole.
The removed tumor is then sent to the laboratory and examined there. Usually only then is it clear whether it is benign or malignant. Then the tissue and skin are sewn up again and the wound is bandaged.
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