PURPOSE: Tumours of the accessory lacrimal glands (ALGs) are rare and need to be differentiated from other tumours involving the eyelids and caruncle. We report on a consecutive series of patients with ALG tumours and describe the clinical characteristics.

METHODS: A retrospective case series including all patients who were operated for ALG tumours at two different centres.

RESULTS: The study included 27 patients diagnosed with ALG tumours. Mean age at presentation was 55.9 years (range, 24-81 years; median, 56 years). Overall, a slight male preponderance was observed (M:F = 1.4:1). Histologically, pleomorphic adenoma was the commonest diagnosis (24 of 27; 88.9%), followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (2 of 27; 7.4%) and oncocytoma (one of 27; 3.7%). A complete surgical excision was curative in all patients.

CONCLUSION: Accessory lacrimal gland (ALG) tumours are rare and may therefore pose diagnostic difficulties for clinicians. Histopathological examination of these tumours is the cornerstone of the diagnostic evaluation. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice in these tumours.