PURPOSE OF REVIEW The goal of this article is to offer an update on the treatment and prognosis of the most common epithelial tumors of the lacrimal gland, report on new pathological entities and offer a review of the classification of lacrimal gland tumors. RECENT FINDINGS Improvements have been made in the understanding of lacrimal gland lesions with the knowledge that lacrimal gland tumors...

INTRODUCTION: Crocodile tears syndrome (CTS) is a synkinesis-type sequela seen after facial paralysis. CTS is characterized by hyperlachrymation while feeding. Botulinum toxin A (BTxA) has been used as a treatment for CTS patients. The BTxA mechanism of action in the lacrimal gland is the presynaptic blockade of acetylcholine release at cholinergic nerve endings, thereby reducing the stimulus o...

Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) is a systemic autoimmune disease in which an immunological attack against the salivary and lacrimal glands results, respectively, in severe dry mouth and dry eye diseases. Although a CD4+ T lymphocyte population is an integral component in the pathogenesis of SjS, recent studies have focused on the importance the B lymphocyte plays in both the pre-clinical and clinical ...

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the lacrimal and salivary glands, leading to dryness of the eyes and mouth. Epidemiologic studies have indicated a role of both genetic and environmental factors in pathogenesis. It is likely that viral infection can create an inflammatory microenvironment that alters the disposition of apopti...

Rabbits have been proposed as a model organism for the human lacrimal apparatus (LA), including the nasolacrimal duct (NLD), based principally on comparative studies of adult morphology; however, little is known about its development. The NLD first appears as an incomplete primordium in the subcutaneous region of the primordial eyelid and subsequently elongates to reach the naris. One posterior...

The effects of pituitary-derived melanocortin peptides are primarily attributed to ACTH-mediated adrenocortical glucocorticoid production. Identification of a widely distributed receptor for ACTH/MSH peptides, the melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5-R), suggested non-steroidally mediated systemic effects of these peptides. Targeted disruption of the MC5-R produced mice with a severe defect in water re...

A patient presenting with bilateral enlargement of parotid and lacrimal glands, xerostomia, and keratoconjunctiva sicca, whose labial biopsy specimen showed changes consistent with Sjögren's syndrome, is described. The patient was initially misdiagnosed as having primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Subsequent investigations, however, performed to exclude an associated lymphoma or sarcoidosis, show...

Introduction. Modern knowlegde defines Mikulicz ́s disease as a part of immunoglobulin G4-related disease. The main feature is the presence of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, immunoglobulin G4 plasma cells positivity, distinctive storiform fibrosis and moderate eosinophilia. Case report. A 59-years old male presented with a mild keratoconjuctivitis sicca and enlarged lacrimal and salivary glands ...

Innate immunity of the corneal epithelium is conferred by proteinaceous secretions from the epithelium and associated lacrimal and meibomian glands. Lacritin, an eye-specific protein with anti-microbial, cytoprotective and wound-healing properties, predominantly secreted by lacrimal glands, is absent in conditions such as Dry eye and Keratitis. In view of the biological significance of lacritin...

PURPOSE A new animal model, the NFS/sld mutant mouse, was used for primary Sjögren's syndrome to investigate the efficacy of topical and systemic cyclosporin A (CyA) in preventing inflammation of the exocrine glands. METHODS Cyclosporin A was applied topically (0.01% and 0.1%, three times a day) or administered orally (10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, once a day) to mice from 6 to 16 weeks of age, aft...