Oncocytoma of the lacrimal gland diagnosed initially by fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Oncocytomas are benign tumors that infrequently involve ocular adnexa. We describe a case of oncocytoma of the lacrimal gland which was initially diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology. An 83-year-old patient presented to the cytology laboratory with a peripunctal mass in the right eye. The tumor was aspirated. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells was rich in eosinophilic granules. The initial cytological diagnosis was oncocytoma. The tumor was then completely excised and the histological diagnosis confirmed the initial cytological one. Oncocytoma is a rare entity which must be considered in differential diagnosis of a peripunctal mass in elderly patients. The literature was reviewed confirming the rarity of such a presentation and the novelty of this case. Cytological criteria of malignancy are not yet established. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.