[Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the conjunctiva]

Unpigmented tumorous changes of the conjunctiva can frequently be classified as chalazion, basalioma or carcinoma.In a 70 years old diabetic female a 2.5 x 2.5 cm tumor of the lower conjunctival fornix was observed. After complete excision the tumor was examined by histologic routine procedures and immunohistochemically. The patient was irradiated by 40 Gy with the linear accelerator.The monotypical secretion of the heavy chain gamma and the light chain kappa demonstrated a well differentiated extramedullar plasmocytoma. A MALT lymphoma could be excluded by the absence of centrocytoid cells. The bone cytology and histology did not give any evidence for a medullar plasmocytoma. The patient is free from local or diffuse tumor growth since 2 1/2 years.Since the worldwide most important ophthalmopathologic statistics of the AFIP from 1984-1989 describes only 1 plasmocytoma out of 2104 tumors of the lids and conjunctiva, the demonstrated case is an important rarity.