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. 2011 Jan;18(1):74-6.
doi: 10.4103/0974-9233.75895.

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia masquerading as superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis

Majid Moshirfar  1 , Yousuf M Khalifa, Annie Kuo, Don Davis, Nick Mamalis
Affiliations

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia masquerading as superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis

Majid Moshirfar et al. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

To report a case of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) masquerading as superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK). A 62-year-old woman was referred with foreign body sensation, irritation, photophobia and decreased vision in the left eye. She was initially treated for 10 months with intermittent topical corticosteroids for a presumed diagnosis of SLK. She underwent excisional biopsy of the superior conjunctiva and was found, on histopathologic evaluation, to have OSSN with moderate to marked dysplasia. This is the first reported case of OSSN masquerading with signs and symptoms of SLK. Any ocular surface lesion refractory to standard medical treatment should raise suspicion for a malignant process and warrant further cytologic or histopathologic evaluation.

Keywords: Conjunctival Intraepithelial Neoplasia; Masquerade; Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia; Superior Limbic Keratoconjunctivitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1a
Figure 1a
Superior conjunctival lesion with thickening, injection and prominent episcleral vessels
Figure 1b
Figure 1b
Close up view of the superior limbus highlighting peripheral neovascularization and limbal leukoplakia
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pathology showing acanthotic, nonkeratinized epithelial layer. Dysplasia is noted 2/3 of the way through the specimen. Artificial separations are noted in the tissue from processing. The basement membrane is intact. Chronic inflammation is noted in the substantia propria, which can be seen in a chronically irritatedconjuntival lesion (H and E, ×200)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Slit lamp photograph showing resolution of the ocular surface squamous neoplasia
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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