Conjunctival myxoma. A clinicopathologic study.

ABSTRACT

A 54-year-old white man had a slowly growing painless epibulbar mass that clinically mimicked a lymphangioma. Morphologically, the paucicellular tumor contained stellate and spindly cells, mast cells, and dilated lymphatic channels embedded in a loose collagenous matrix. The clinical differential diagnosis included lymphangioma, amelanotic nevus, lymphoma, reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, dermoid, lipoma, and botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma. Pathologically, lymphangioma, myxoid neurofibroma, and spindle cell lipoma were all considered. The authors discuss the clinical and histopathologic features of the various tumors, and confirmation of the diagnosis of conjunctival myxoma by differential alcian blue staining properties dependent on critical electrolyte concentration.