A CARUNCULAR DERMOID WITH CONTIGUOUS EYELID INVOLVEMENT - EMBRYOLOGICIMPLICATIONS

An 11-year-old girl with a mass arising from the caruncle and the uppe r eyelid was examined for spontaneous epibulbar bleeding. Excision of the lesion involved reconstruction of the proximal nasolacrimal system , lid margin, and conjunctiva. The histopathologic diagnosis was consi stent with a dermoid of the caruncle. This case is notable not only fo r a dermoid accompanied by epibulbar bleeding but for its caruncular o rigin and attachment to the upper eyelid. This case suggests that the caruncle and the upper eyelid arise from similar embryologic structure s.