Surgical excision of a feline orbital lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma with adjunctive cryotherapy and carboplatin-impregnated bead implantation

The purpose of this report was to discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of a cat with an orbital lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma. A 14.5-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for a firm swelling at the left dorsotemporal orbital rim. The orbital mass was excised with preservation of the globe, and adjunctive cryotherapy was performed. A definitive diagnosis of lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma was obtained after histopathologic evaluation and histochemical staining with periodic acid–Schiff and mucicarmine. Thirteen months postoperatively, tumor regrowth occurred with a much larger osteolytic lesion, and a second surgery was performed consisting of tumor excision with implantation of carboplatin-impregnated calcium sulfate hemihydrate beads. The cat has remained free of recurrence 11 months after the second surgery (26 months after initial diagnosis and surgery). A feline orbital lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma was successfully managed utilizing globe-preserving surgical excision with adjunctive cryotherapy and subsequent carboplatin-impregnated bead implantation. Orbital lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma in cats may not be as aggressive as other forms of periocular, head, and neck adenocarcinomas.