Non-Hodgkin's orbital lymphoma

Background. The non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are a group of neoplasms char acterized by proliferation of malignant lymphocytes. Patients with NHL have a wide variety of presenting signs and symptoms, depending largely on the site of involvement and aggressiveness of the disease. Many organs in the b ody may be affected, including the eye and orbit. Case Report. A 47-year-ol d male with a 3-year history of stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had und ergone recent monoclonal antibody therapy presented with a complaint of blu r in the left eye with occasional diplopia. Significant ocular findings of the left eye included ptosis, mild proptosis, increased intraocular pressur e, and choroidal folds. Magnetic resonance imaging of the orbit revealed an orbital lymphoma that completely resolved after 2400 rads of external beam irradiation therapy. Eight months later, the patient developed a secondary radiation retinopathy. Conclusion. The prevalence of NHL is on the rise, a nd orbital involvement may occur at any time during the course of the disea se. The standard treatment for non-Hodgkin's orbital lymphoma is external b eam irradiation therapy, although the optimal dose for obtaining local tumo r control without complications remains to be determined. Non-Hodgkin's lym phoma, orbital lymphoma, and various treatment options are discussed.