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The purpose of this report was to present a case of congenital alacrima in a patient with blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). A 9-month-old boy presented with characteristic clinical findings of BPES confirmed by genetic testing. On further history taking and evaluation, the patient was noted to have no tear production, despite clinically present palpebral lobes of the lacrimal glands. BPES is an autosomal dominant condition characterized by narrowed horizontal palpebral fissures, severe bilateral symmetric ptosis, epicanthus inversus, and telecanthus. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the second reported case of congenital alacrima in this syndrome. The first case described in the literature was in a 9-month-old girl who had congenital absence of the lacrimal glands. BPES may present with alacrima requiring vigilant lifelong lubrication and careful consideration in decisions for eyelid surgery including ptosis repair.

Bilateral agenesis of the lacrimal puncta and enlargement of the nasolacrimal canal are rare anatomic variants. The authors present 2 familial cases: a 39-year-old woman with bilateral dacryocystocele and lacrimal puncta agenesis and her 46-year-old brother, who had a long history of epiphora and recurrent dacryocystitis, and also had bilateral lacrimal puncta agenesis and a left dacryocystocoele. The authors report the endoscopic, CT, and MRI findings, and describe the surgical treatments, by endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy in the first case, and conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube in the second case. At 24 months after surgery, both patients' symptoms were improved.

Ophthalmic manifestations are a common component of the ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting (EEC) syndrome; however, few ophthalmic publications have specifically addressed these features. The authors describe a 38-year-old patient with EEC syndrome who demonstrated several associated ocular signs and symptoms. The ophthalmic findings in this patient included bilateral entropion with secondary trichiasis, and shallow inferior fornices with symblepharon. Interestingly, the patient also had vertically deficient tarsi and absence of the meibomian glands. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the ocular signs and symptoms associated with EEC because some manifestations can potentially be sight threatening.

Tumor cells from a malignant mixed tumor of the lacrimal gland were maintained in tissue culture for more than 55 generations. Comparative immunohistochemical analysis was performed on whole tumor sections and on the tumor cell culture to define the origin of the cells in culture. The cultured cells expressed cytokeratin, smooth-muscle actin, S-100 protein, and vimentin and were negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Tumor sections expressed cytokeratin but were negative for muscle-specific actin, vimentin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Through tissue culture studies of salivary gland epithelial neoplasias, which are very similar to lacrimal gland epithelial neoplasias, pluripotential stem cells have been identified. Similar tissue culture analysis of lacrimal gland epithelial neoplasms can be a valuable tool for studying the origin of these uncommon tumors.