A male patient underwent microvascular transplantation of an autologous submandibular gland and its associated (Wharton's) duct for management of very severe right keratoconjunctivitis sicca due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome; due to hypersecretion, the gland was later removed in toto. Twenty-two years later, he presented with a nontender, sausage-like mass lying subcutaneously in the right temple. Intraoperatively a fluctuant tubular mass passing from the temporalis fossa to the superotemporal conjunctiva was identified and excised intact. Histology showed a slightly proteinaceous fluid within a duct lined with cuboidal epithelium, this being compatible with Wharton's duct. This case highlights that iatrogenic causes should be considered with any history of periocular injury or surgery.
Copyright © 2023 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc.