IDIOPATHIC ORBITAL INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

The purpose of this study was to review our clinical experience with 1 32 idiopathic orbital inflammation cases seen between 1971 and 1994, C linical charts of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Patient age ranged from 5 to 80 (mean 46.5) years, The follow-up period was b etween 6 to 172 (mean 42.8) months, Proptosis (82%), motility restrict ion (54%), visual acuity loss (38%) were the three more common present ing signs, The diagnosis was made by open biopsy in 96 cases and clini cally in 36 cases, Radiologic patterns of involvement were available f or 84 cases, Diffuse inflammatory disease (40 cases) was the most freq uent radiologic pattern followed by myositis (21 cases) and dacryoaden itis (14 cases), Focal encapsulated mass (5 cases), Tolosa-Hunt syndro me (2 cases) perineuritis (1 case) and periscleritis (1 case) were the other types of orbital pseudotumors, The response to treatment was kn own for 60 of the 84 radiologically classified cases, High-dose oral c orticosteroid treatment was successful in 35 out of 60 (58.3%) cases a nd radiotherapy in 9 out of 14 (64.3%) cases resistant to corticostero ids, One resistant case responded to cyclophosphamide and 2 cases with focal mass lesions were treated with orbitotomy. Four additional case s had spontaneous remission. Overall, 51 out of 64 patients (79.7%) ha d an eventual good outcome, In conclusion, we found open biopsy to be a safe and reliable procedure in orbital pseudotumors with the exclusi on of acute phase cases, The success rate of treatment for this group of orbital disorders is high with the exception of certain disease pat terns.