A Clinical Study of 47 Patients with Orbital Tumors

Purpose: To determine the types, frequency and clinical features of orbital tumors at the secondary referral center in Korea. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on 47 patients who had diagnosed with an orbital tumor from 2003 to 2007. The patients were classified according to the histopathological findings, and then further subclassified according to orbital location. The factors assessed were age, gender, incidence, major complaints, and orbital location. Results: The most common diagnoses were a cystic lesion in 12 patients (25.5%), a lymphoid tumor and leukemia in 9 (19.1%), an lipocytic and myxoid lesion in 6 (12.8%), and an inflammatory orbital disease in 6 (12.8%). The most common clinical features at presentation included a mass in 20 patients (42.6%), and proptosis in 18 (38.3%). Of the 47 tumors, the main tumor location was in the superior half of the orbit in 27 lesions (57.4%), and in the extraconal space in 34 (72.3%). Conclusions: A variety of tumors can involve the orbit. The differential diagnosis of orbital tumors differs across age group. No clinical sign or symptom is specific for the diagnosis.