[Orbital lymphangioma. A case report]

The diffuse form of orbital lymphangioma is well known for its difficult surgical treatment. A diffuse orbital lymphangioma was diagnosed in a 6-year-old girl, revealed by unilateral recurrent proptosis. The imaging procedure discovered a mass presumed to be vascular in nature. The initial incompleted surgical removal was followed by 3 recurrences motivating 3 reoperations. Finally, the tumor was removed incompletely, with an acceptable reduction of the proptosis. The pathologic analyses indicated lymphangioma. Some vascular orbital tumors such as lymphangioma, may be very difficult to manage because of local spreading and frequent recurrence.