Eye
Conjunctiva
Other nonneoplastic
Epibulbar choristoma
Author: Deepali Jain, M.D.
Last author update: 1 April 2017
Last staff update: 4 April 2024 (update in progress)
Copyright: 2004-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Dermoid tumor and other congenital lesions
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Diagrams / tables | Clinical images | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Jain D. Epibulbar choristoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyedermoidtumor.html. Accessed April 16th, 2024.
Definition / general
- A type of choristoma (congenital, nonneoplastic lesion composed of cytologically normal tissue not normally found at that location), often at limbus
- Mainly children
- No malignant potential
- May be associated with colobomas of iris and ciliary body, Goldenhar syndrome (ocular dermoid tumors, extra-auricular appendages, vertebral anomalies, East Afr Med J 2002;79:502), organoid nevus syndrome (also called linear nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn, Br J Ophthalmol 1987;71:268)
Diagrams / tables
Images hosted on other servers:
Complex choristoma (figure 1b)
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Lipodermoid
Gross description
- Bulbar tumors are firm, localized, elevated, opaque, yellow-white masses at limbus
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Dermoid:
- Solid (not cystic) choristoma mass with surface epithelium resembling epidermis and dermis and containing a few hairs, overlying thick bundles of collagen, which make up bulk of mass (eMedicine: Limbal Dermoid [Accessed 17 April 2018])
- Complex choristoma:
- Cartilage, lacrimal tissue, smooth muscle, adipose tissue, neural tissue (Ophthalmology 1987;94:1249)
- May be confused with prolapsed lacrimal gland (Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2005;83:100); teeth (odontogenic choristoma, Am J Ophthalmol 2009;147:531)
- Osseous choristoma:
- More than 70% female
- Small, solid, circumscribed, red-white bony lesion behind limbus and between superior and lateral rectus muscles
- Composed of compact lamellar bone surrounded by dense, collagenous bone (Br J Ophthalmol 1979;63:173, Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 2002;33:410)
- Dermolipoma (lipodermoid):
- Superotemporal most common site
- Abundant adipose tissue but minimal skin adnexae, usually in upper outer fornix; only superficial portion is excised as deep portion is attached to rectus muscles and fascia (The Internet Journal of Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2006;4:Number 1, Arch Ophthalmol 1994;112:1114)
- Resembles subconjunctival herniated orbital fat (Aust N Z J Ophthalmol 1999;27:33)
- Smooth muscle hamartoma:
- Gray, cyst-like appearance
- Spindled smooth muscle, fibrous stroma, lobules of adipose tissue (Am J Ophthalmol 1999;128:643, Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2012;28:e102)
Microscopic (histologic) images
AFIP images
Limbal dermoid:
Subepithelial fibrous tissue resembling
reticular dermis with skin appendages
Complex choristoma:
Lacrimal gland tissue within a limbal dermoid
Island of cartilage within a limbal dermoid
Images hosted on other servers:
Complex choristoma:
With ectopic lacrimal gland tissue (figure 2d)
Osseous choristoma:
Bone within connective tissue capsule
Bone contains marrow
Dermolipoma:
Abundant adipose tissue
