Oral abstract presentation times

Purpose

To identify clinical and histopathological predictors of recurrence in ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) during long-term follow-up.

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Methods

In this retrospective study, all patients treated at the Department of Ophthalmology, LMU Munich, between 2013 and 2024 with histopathologically confirmed primary OSSN and a minimum follow-up of 6 months were included. Demographic, clinical, and histopathological parameters at initial diagnosis were analysed for association with recurrence and immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67 and β-catenin was evaluated.

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Results

A total of 131 patients were included (mean age 69 years [36–89]; 66% male). The most frequent histopathological diagnoses were carcinoma in situ (CIS; 43.5%, n=57) and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; 41.2%, n=54), while epithelial dysplasia (ED) accounted for 15.3% (n=20).
During a mean follow-up of 48 months (6–150), recurrence occurred in 29.8% (n=39) after a mean of 15.9 months (3–107). Demographic factors (age, sex), anatomical location, and symptom duration showed no significant association with recurrence (p>0.05).
The Ki-67 labeling index differed significantly between subtypes (ED 37% [2–87%], CIS 48% [11–85%], SCC 51% [18–93%]; p=0.003) and showed a non significant trend toward higher values in recurrent cases (p=0.115).
Intracellular β-catenin expression also differed significantly between subtypes (ED 75%, CIS 50%, SCC 87%) and was significantly associated with recurrence (p=0.020; OR=6.0), with high sensitivity (90%) but low specificity (40%).
The combination of intracellular β-catenin expression and the highest Ki-67 quartile (≥55%) was significantly associated with recurrence (p=0.002), demonstrating very high sensitivity (100%) with moderate specificity (31.4%).

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Conclusion

While Ki-67 reflects proliferative activity, intracellular β-catenin expression appears to be a relevant predictor of recurrence in OSSN. The combination of both markers enabled highly sensitive identification of high-risk patients and may support future risk stratification and individualized follow-up strategies.

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Additional Authors

First name	Last name	Base Hospital / Institution
Jan	Grünewald	Augenklinik LMU München
Elisabeth	Messmer	Augenklinik LMU München
Christoph	Hintschich	Augenklinik LMU München
Andreas	Ohlmann	Augenklinik LMU München

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