Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia in 200 Patients: A Case-Control Study of Immunosuppression Resulting from Human Immunodeficiency Virus versus Immunocompetency

Abstract

To describe and compare the clinical presentation, treatment outcomes, and histopathologic features of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) based on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status. Case-control study. A total of 200 patients with OSSN, of whom 83 (41%) had positive results for HIV and were classified as cases and 117 (59%) had negative results for HIV and were classified as controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for HIV, conjuntival excision biopsy, extended enucleation, orbital exenteration. Clinical features, treatment outcomes, and histopathologic characteristics. The mean age at presentation of OSSN in both cases and controls was 40 years (median, 40 years; range, 13-65 years) and in controls was 40 years (median, 38 years; range, 15-80 years). On comparison of cases versus controls with OSSN, HIV-positive individuals had larger (12 vs. 8 mm; P < 0.001) and thicker (3.2 vs. 2.3 mm; P = 0.041) tumors, with a higher incidence of corneal (60% vs. 40%; P = 0.007), scleral (19% vs. 9%; P = 0.044), and orbital (13% vs. 3%; P = 0.019) invasion and a higher need for extended enucleation or exenteration (27% vs. 11%; P < 0.001). The bilateral presentation (11% vs. 4%; P = 0.13), need for lamellar sclerectomy (13% vs. 8%; P = 0.29), and tumor recurrence after primary treatment (30% vs. 20%; P = 0.12) was higher in HIV-positive cases compared with HIV-negative controls. However, these features were not statistically significant. Based on American Joint Committee on Cancer classification, T1 tumor was more common in controls (13% in cases vs. 35% in controls; P = 0.0009), and T4 tumor was more common in cases (13% in cases vs. 4% in controls; P = 0.019). None of the patients demonstrated systemic metastases or died of disease during a mean follow-up period of 10 months (median, 4 months; range, <1-75 months) in cases and 9 months (median, 4 months; range, <1-99 months) in controls. Ocular surface squamous neoplasia in HIV-positive individuals is aggressive with larger and thicker tumors and with higher incidence of corneal, scleral, and orbital invasion. These patients are associated with poor ocular prognosis with higher need for extended enucleation, exenteration, or both.