ENLARGED EXTRAOCULAR-MUSCLES FROM METASTATIC SIGNET-RING CARCINOMA

Enlarged extraocular muscles usually occur from inflammatory condition s, but in rare instances metastatic tumors that invade the muscles wil l require a biopsy and specific treatment. The authors report what the y believe to be the third case of metastases to the extraocular muscle s from signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of an unknown primary site. [Op hthalmic Surg Lasers 1996;27:632-635.] Enlarged extraocular muscles mo st often result from inflammatory conditions such as Graves' thyroid o phthalmopathy or inflammatory myositis. Other benign etiologies includ e sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, hemorrhage, and congenital anomalies. Pati ents with lymphoma can have enlarged extraocular muscles without tumor invasion as part of a paraneoplastic myositis.(1) The rare instance o f metastatic carcinoma to the extraocular muscles carries a grim progn osis For survival, regardless of histologic type. We report, to the be st of our knowledge, the third case of enlarged extraocular muscles fr om metastatic tumor of an unknown primary site, with a distinctive app earance of signet ring carcinoma.