Lacrimal gland biopsies—results from a tertiary centre in the UK

PURPOSE: To report the histopathological results of lacrimal gland biopsies over a 21-year period in a tertiary referral centre in the United Kingdom. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the largest series to be published in the United Kingdom. METHODS: A retrospective observational review was carried out for patients who underwent lacrimal gland biopsies in a tertiary referral centre at the University Hospitals of Leicester, United Kingdom between the years of 2000 and 2021. RESULTS: Lacrimal gland biopsies were performed on 248 patients during the specified 21-year period. They comprised 157 (63.3%) females and 91 (36.7%) males. The mean age at presentation was 50.8 years (range 15–94 years). The majority of patients were Caucasian (69.4%, n = 172) followed by Asians (25.0%, n = 62), African/Afro-Caribbean (4.8%, n = 12) and other ethnicities (0.8%, n = 2). The most common histopathological diagnosis was chronic inflammation dacryoadenitis (69.0%, n = 171) followed by lymphomas (15.3%, n = 38). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that chronic inflammation accounts for the majority of histopathological diagnosis followed by lymphoproliferative disorders.