Objective: To describe three cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva presenting with corneal and scleral inflammation, thinning, and perforation without any tumor formation.
Design: Three case reports.
Participants: Three male subjects aged 76, 66, and 61 years.
Intervention: The subjects had symptoms of external ocular inflammation with focal corneal or scleral thinning and inflammation, as well as interstitial keratitis in two cases. Initial diagnosis of sclerokeratitis with limbal thinning was made in all three in addition to a pterygium in case 2.
Main outcome measures: Diagnosis of the carcinoma was delayed for 2 to 24 months in two cases, whereas case 2 was diagnosed on excision of a pterygium from the involved area.
Results: All subjects developed intraocular extension after further scleral thinning and perforation without tumefaction.
Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva may be seen without a distinct mass and can masquerade as sclerokeratitis, scleromalacia, or interstitial keratitis. It seems that diffuse growth with inflammation leads to thinning, necrosis, and perforation of the ocular wall with resultant intraocular spread. Squamous cell carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of corneal and scleral thinning, perforation, and inflammation of unknown cause, especially in the older male subject.