Myxoma of the conjunctiva : a case report and a review of the literature

: A rare case of conjunctival myxoma is reported. A painless tumor was noted in the left bulbar conjunctiva of an 80-year-old woman. The extirpated tumor, 12 x 10 mm, was hypocellular and composed of spindle-shaped or stellate tumor cells. The tumor stroma showed extensive myxomatous changes. Alcian blue stain with hyaluronidase digestion revealed that the matrix contained rich amounts of hyaluronidase-sensitive acid mucopolysaccharides. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin, suggesting a fibroblastic or myofibroblastic cell phenotype. A review of the literature revealed the rare incidence and invariable benign behavior of conjunctival myxoma.