Histological types of spindle cell carcinoma of the cornea and conjunctiva. A clinicopathologic report of 8 patients with ultrastructural and immunohistochemical findings in three tumors.

We analysed the clinical and pathological features of 8 patients with spindle cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva and/or cornea. Four tumors arose from the cornea of atrophic eyes that had previous corneal ulcers. The tumors could be divided into 3 types according to their histopathological findings: fibrosarcomatous type, fibro-histiocytomatous type, and rhabdomyosarcomatous type. The 8 patients were misdiagnosed clinically and pathologically. Careful retrospective histopathologic examination using serial sections and in some tumors the addition of ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies revealed the correct diagnosis. Follow-up data were obtained in 5 patients. Four of them were alive for 20, 10, 3, and 2 years respectively after surgery. One conjunctival tumor recurred 10 months after local excision.