[Orbital apex syndrome]

The authors analyze the clinical picture and computerized tomography data in 49 patients, aged 31-69, with symptoms of involvement of the orbital apex. The secondary orbital apex syndrome (OAS) has been diagnosed in 9 patients, and the primary one in 40, the reasons of the condition being optic nerve tumors (in 50% of cases), pseudotumor (22.5%), endocrine ophthalmopathies, etc. Differential diagnostic criteria of the primary and secondary OAS are suggested. The reasons responsible for primary OAS may be practically specified only by computerized tomography.