Orbital Exenteration for Advanced Periocular Adnexal Malignancies: Curative Versus Palliative Surgical Intent.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the survival benefit of orbital exenteration in periocular malignancy, taking account of preoperative intent. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing exenteration had retrospective chart review for demographics, clinical features, radiology, histology, and outcome. Based on systemic tumor status, the patient was either "Class I" (with absent or well-controlled systemic disease) or "Class II" (incurable active metastatic disease), and based on the extent of orbital disease and exenteration intent , was classed as either "Group A" (locally curative) or "Group B" (locally palliative). RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three patients (78 females; 59%) underwent exenteration at an average age of 61 years (median 64; range 5-91) for sebaceous, squamous and basal cell carcinomas, or for melanoma (22%, 19%, 11%, and 28%, respectively). There were 20% systemically incurable patients (26/133; Class II), and incurable local disease ("Group B") in 5% (5/107) of Class I and 15% (4/26) Class II patients. The overall survival (OS) was 88% at 12 months, 57% at 5 years, and 41% at 10 years, prognosis being worse with age more than 70 years ( p = 0.005), prior local radiotherapy ( p = 0.005) or positive resection margins ( p = 0.002). The mean OS for Type IA exenteration (145 months; 95% CI 122-168) was significantly different to 50 months for Type IB (95% CI 22-79; p = 0.02); likewise, OS for Type IIA procedures (31 months; 95% CI 11-51) was different to Type IIB (19 months; 95% CI 2-36) ( p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Exenteration confers a significant survival with advanced periocular malignancies, even in patients with uncontrollable systemic disease, or where the local disease is deemed incurable.

Inaccuracy of diagnosis in a cohort of patients on the waiting list for dacryocystorhinostomy when the diagnosis was made by only syringing the lacrimal system.

PURPOSE: Accurate identification of the factors contributing to epiphora is essential in directing appropriate management and treatment strategies. The authors applied a methodical strategy of assessment for epiphora to patients who were already on the waiting list for dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). The findings were compared to the original findings. METHODS: Forty-four eyes of 35 patients listed for DCR were re-examined. All canaliculi were examined using four tests: dye disappearance, Jones 1 (dye retrieval), probing using Bowman probes, and syringing of the nasolacrimal duct (NLD) under local anesthesia. Some patients were examined using an endocanalicular mini-endoscope. Patients with NLD obstruction underwent DCR and those with canalicular and NLD stenosis underwent intubation of the lacrimal system-canaliculus, lacrimal sac, and nasolacrimal duct-using silicone stents. The authors refer to this as canaliculodacryocystoplasty (CDCP). The patients were assessed for symptoms of epiphora at 12 months. Forty-four eyes had been listed for DCR. They had been originally diagnosed, by means of lacrimal syringing, as NLD obstruction (24 eyes) or stenosis (12 eyes), and functional blocks (8 eyes). RESULTS: Four out of the original 44 planned DCR surgeries were performed after re-evaluation. After re-examination, 28 lacrimal systems were found to have canalicular stenosis, 4 NLD stenosis, 4 NLD obstruction, 4 punctal phimosis, 3 ocular surface disease, and 1 patient was asymptomatic. Twenty-eight lacrimal systems underwent CDCP, 4 underwent DCR, 4 had punctoplasty, and 4 had probing alone. Three had treatment for ocular surface disease and one patient required no treatment. After a follow-up of 12 months, 41 (93%) systems had improvement or were free of their CONCLUSIONS: Syringing of the lacrimal apparatus may result in a high false positive diagnosis of NLD obstruction. Canalicular pathology is not uncommon in this cohort of patients and may be underdiagnosed.

Periocular tuberculous disease: experience from a UK eye hospital.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To describe our experience of patients presenting to a tertiary referral adnexal department with orbital or periocular tuberculosis (TB) over a 10-year period. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with a diagnosis of orbital or periocular TB from 2001 to 2011 in Moorfields Eye Hospital. RESULTS: Nine patients were identified over the 10-year period. Three cases of cutaneous TB, two cases of TB dacryocystitis and four cases of diffuse orbital TB were identified. All patients lived in the UK, but were born in the African or Asian subcontinents. Three patients had known prior (and treated) pulmonary TB and all were immunocompetent.All patients presented with periocular discomfort. After tissue diagnosis, all patients were referred for triple antituberculous therapy (ATT); all patients completed their course of ATT, with resolution of all orbital and lacrimal masses. There were no recurrences at a median follow-up of 26 weeks (range 1 month-5 years). One patient, who required later evisceration, was the only case with loss of vision. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital and periocular TB can be difficult to diagnose and lead to diagnostic delays, with emphasis on clinical suspicion rather than a positive culture result; the management of such cases is not only surgical, but also medical and social. Although surgical intervention can alleviate symptoms and prevent visual loss, the use of a complete course of ATT is paramount for disease management and the patient and their family need to be counselled about the associated public health issues.

Cranio-orbital primary intraosseous haemangioma.

PURPOSE: Primary intraosseous haemangioma (IOH) is a rare benign neoplasm presenting in the fourth and fifth decades of life. The spine and skull are the most commonly involved, orbital involvement is extremely rare. We describe six patients with cranio-orbital IOH, the largest case series to date. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of six patients with histologically confirmed primary IOH involving the orbit. Clinical characteristics, imaging features, approach to management, and histopathological findings are described. RESULTS: Five patients were male with a median age of 56. Pain and diplopia were the most common presenting features. A characteristic 'honeycomb' pattern on CT imaging was demonstrated in three of the cases. Complete surgical excision was performed in all cases with presurgical embolisation carried out in one case. In all the cases, histological studies identified cavernous vascular spaces within the bony tissue. These channels were lined by single layer of cytologically normal endothelial cells. DISCUSSION: IOCH of the cranio-orbital region is rare; in the absence of typical imaging features, the differential diagnosis includes chondroma, chondrosarcoma, bony metastasis, and lymphoma. Surgical excision may be necessary to exclude more sinister pathology. Intraoperative haemorrhage can be severe and may be reduced by preoperative embolisation.

Orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopathy in England.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to obtain data on orbital decompression procedures performed in England, classed by hospital and locality, to evaluate regional variation in care. METHODS: Data on orbital decompression taking place in England over a 2-year period between 2007 and 2009 were derived from CHKS Ltd and analysed by the hospital and primary care trust. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In all, 44% of these operations took place in hospitals with an annual workload of 10 or fewer procedures. Analysis of the same data by primary care trust suggests an almost 30-fold variance in the rates of decompression performed per unit population. Expertise available to patients with Graves' orbitopathy and rates of referral for specialist care in England appears to vary significantly by geographic location. These data, along with other outcome measures, will provide a baseline by which progress can be judged.

Epibulbar osseous choristoma: benign pathology simulating an intraorbital foreign body.

Epibulbar osseous choristomas typically present, in the young, as a supero-temporal subconjunctival nodule and radiographic imaging often shows a densely radio-opaque fleck on the sclera--this often being misinterpreted as a parabulbar foreign body. Four illustrative cases are presented.