Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the orbit: case report and literature review

A 68-year-old woman with progressive visual loss and exophthalmos in her right eye had been operated on for a mass in her right calf 3 years earlier. Imaging showed a huge mass invading the orbital structures and temporal pole. The presumptive diagnosis was a malignant orbital tumor. The tumor was resected totally and eroded tissues such as the lateral rectus muscle and dural compartments were repaired. The histological diagnosis was a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged 8 days after surgery. Two years later she died from a liver tumor. Few MPNSTs involving the orbit have been reported.