Review of lacrimal gland lesions.

A review of 142 lacrimal gland biopsies performed during a 25 year period revealed that 78% of lacrimal gland lesions were of nonepithelial origin and only 22% were primary epithelial neoplasms. The nonepithelial lesions included inflammation (64%) and lymphoid tumors (14%), while the epithelial lesions included dacryops (6%), pleomorphic adenoma (12%), and malignant epithelial tumors (4%). These results contradict the much quoted teaching that 50% of lacrimal gland lesions are primary epithelial tumors and 50% are nonepithelial lesions.