Table of Contents
Definition / general | Treatment | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Electron microscopy description | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Pernick N. Spindle cell carcinoma-conjunctiva. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyeconjspindlecell.html. Accessed September 26th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Rare but more aggressive than squamous cell carcinoma
- Elderly patients
Treatment
- Complete excision
- May recur or invade sclera or intraocular contents
Gross description
- Elevated or flat, smooth surface, red
- Arises from limbus or bulbar conjunctiva
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Spindle cells are continuous with surface epithelium
- Have oval vesicular nuclei with large eosinophilic or basophilic nucleoli
- Often transition to squamous cells with individual cell keratinization
- Also acanthosis, mitotic activity, desmoplasia, variable dysplasia
Electron microscopy description
- Desmosomes, tonofibrils
Differential diagnosis
- Atypical fibroxanthoma
- Exuberant granulation tissue
- MFH
- Spindle cell melanoma
Additional references