[Clinical analysis of orbital ectopic meningiomas]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Oncology

Background:

• Orbital ectopic meningiomas are rare tumors.
• Accurate diagnosis can be challenging due to non-specific clinical and imaging features.
• These tumors can occur within or outside the orbital muscular funnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical features, imaging characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies for orbital ectopic meningiomas.
• To evaluate the prognosis and recurrence patterns of this rare orbital tumor.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 10 patients (10 eyes) diagnosed with orbital ectopic meningiomas between 1999 and 2016.
• Inclusion of clinical data, imaging studies (ultrasound, CT, MRI), pathological findings, treatment regimens, and follow-up information.

Main Results:

• Patients ranged from 7 to 68 years old, with 6 females and 4 males.
• Common symptoms included eyelid swelling and exophthalmos; imaging showed irregular shapes and unclear borders.
• Surgical resection was performed in all cases, with epithelial meningioma being the most common pathology (9 cases). Temporary eye movement disorders occurred postoperatively in all patients.

Conclusions:

• Orbital ectopic meningiomas are difficult to diagnose preoperatively, lacking specific features of optic nerve sheath or periosteal meningiomas.
• Surgical resection generally leads to a good prognosis with preserved visual acuity.
• Gamma-knife radiotherapy is a potentially effective treatment for recurrent orbital ectopic meningiomas.