The lacrimal gland is located roughly below the outer arch of the eyebrow and may be divided into orbital and lid lacrimal glands. Do tumors grow in the lacrimal glands? Of course! There are three common types of lacrimal gland tumors: pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and pleomorphic adenocarcinoma; the former is a benign tumor with a good prognosis; the latter two are malignant tumors with a poor prognosis if distant metastases occur at an advanced stage. How to make a preliminary judgment about the tumor of the lacrimal gland? When a tumor appears in the lacrimal gland, the patient can usually feel the lump in the corresponding area, that is, the upper part of the eye socket. Most of the lumps are hard, and the tactile sensation of the lump can help to identify the nature of the lump. 1. Benign pleomorphic adenoma lumps usually have clear borders, smooth surface and cannot be pushed, and a few patients have pain at the lump site or can have pain when pressing the lump; 2. Adenoid cystic carcinoma is mostly mass-shaped, cannot be pushed, has unclear borders, spontaneous pain (i.e. pain at the tumor site) and tenderness (pain when touching the tumor). Spontaneous pain (i.e. pain at the tumor site) and tenderness (pain after touching the tumor) are characteristic manifestations of the disease; 3. Polymorphic adenocarcinoma has unclear borders and pain will occur when pressing the mass. In addition, since the lacrimal gland is located in the upper part of the orbit, when the tumor of the lacrimal gland gradually grows larger, it will compress the eyeball and cause the eyeball to protrude and shift inward; when the tumor grows too large, symptoms such as eye movement disorder and vision loss may occur. Generally speaking, malignant tumors grow faster and larger than benign tumors. The diagnosis of lacrimal gland tumor mainly needs the support of imaging examination. Therefore, when a lump is found in the lacrimal gland, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible and choose eye ultrasound, orbital CT, orbital MRI and other auxiliary examinations as needed to help the diagnosis. Benign and malignant tumors will have different manifestations in these imaging examinations, and doctors can combine them with clinical manifestations to make the initial diagnosis. However, even benign tumors have the risk of recurrence and malignancy, therefore, surgical excision + pathological examination is the best way to make a clear diagnosis. In the treatment of lacrimal gland tumor, surgery is preferred, supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy if necessary. The prognosis of various types of tumors is different depending on the pathological type.