CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF MALIGNANT NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA OF THE ORBITAL REGION - 12 CASES

Over an 8-year period in the Departments of Hematology, Ophthalmology and Internal Medicine of our hospital, 12 cases of orbital and adnexal malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were reported. Diagnostic elements v aried, including local tumefaction, watering eyes, uveitis, and unexpl ained, long-term fever. Nine patients had primary paraocular lymphomas involving either orbital structures, the lacrimal gland or the eyebal l, but, after appropriate staging, the disease was found to be dissemi nated in 5 ; the 3 other cases were secondary orbital lymphomas. Inter mediate or high grade histological types were predominant (9 patients) in our series. Radiation therapy, alone or combined (5 patients) with chemotherapy, was administered in 8 cases ; other treatments consiste d of chemotherapy (2 cases) or steroids (2 cases). Evolution was poor, with only 4 patients surviving at 34-180 months of follow-up. The mai n prognostic factors were tumor stage and histological grade. The clin ical characteristics of this group are compared to those reported in t he literature.