Imaging of the lacrimal gland.

ABSTRACT

The lacrimal gland is situated superolateral to the eye and produces tears that moisten, lubricate, and protect the delicate corneal and conjunctival epithelium. Anatomically related to the orbit but embryologically and functionally more closely related to the salivary glands, radiological imaging has proven invaluable in delineation and differentiation of the unique range of pathological processes affecting the lacrimal gland. This article details traditional and new imaging techniques used in investigating such pathology and discusses the imaging findings and patterns of spread characteristic of various neoplastic, inflammatory, and structural processes ranging from benign adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and lymphomas to sarcoidosis, Mickulicz's syndrome, histiocytosis, and benign dacrocysts.