Ocular Microbiology and Immunology Group
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2023 OMIG Abstract

Chronic Inflammation as a Proposed Risk Factor for Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia

Sofia De Arrigunaga¹, Sarah Wall^1,2, Despoina Theotoka^1,2, Asaf Friehmann^1,3, Matthew Camacho⁴,
Sander Dubovy^1,4, Anat Galor^1,5, and Carol L. Karp<sup>1

1</sup>Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL; ²Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT; ³Department of Ophthalmology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel; ⁴Florida Lions Ocular Pathology Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL; ⁵Department of Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL

Purpose: Chronic inflammation is a predisposing factor for metaplastic changes and ultimately dysplasia. We describe cases of OSSN occurring in the setting of chronic ocular surface inflammation.

Methods: Sixteen eyes from 14 individuals were included from one ocular oncology clinic between 2010 and 2023. Patients presented with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in the setting of chronic inflammation. The diagnosis of OSSN was made using anterior segment high-resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) and confirmed by histopathological analysis in all cases.

Results: Mean age on presentation was 61 [25-86] years. Eleven (86%) individuals were male and five (36%) identified as White Hispanic. Ten eyes were referred with ocular surface diagnoses including pannus (n=4), scarring (n=3), pterygium (n=2), and herpetic keratitis (n=1). Only six eyes were referred as possible neoplasia. All individuals had a history of ocular surface inflammation. The most common inflammatory conditions were ocular rosacea (seven individuals) and atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) (five individuals). Two individuals were found to have bilateral OSSN, one in the setting of ocular rosacea and the other in the setting of AKC. All 16 eyes from 14 individuals were suspected to have OSSN based on HR-OCT findings which guided the location of the biopsies that subsequently confirmed histopathological diagnosis in all cases.

Conclusions: OSSN may arise in the setting of chronic inflammation on the ocular surface. Identification of the tumor can be challenging in these cases, and HR-OCT can be a key diagnostic tool in detecting OSSN.

Disclosure: N

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