Respiratory choristomatous cysts in the temporal orbit

Purpose: To describe the clinical and histopathological findings in two pat ients with cystic lesions located in the temporal orbit. Methods. Case reports. Results. Cystic lesions excised from the temporal orbit of two patients wer e found to be lined with ciliated pseudostratified epithelium, consistent w ith a choristoma composed of tissue derived from the respiratory system. A review of the literature suggests that this is an uncommon cause of a cysti c orbital mass. Conclusions. Respiratory choristomatous cysts should be considered in the d ifferential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the temporal orbit.