Ocular dermoids

The following types of ocular dermoids were seen in a retrospective study of 50 children with these lesions: 34 epibulbar dermoids, 12 lipodermoids, and 4 dermoid cysts. Forty-six percent had hemifacial microsomia, and one-half of these had additional stigmata of the Goldenhar variant of the syndrome. Ninety-seven percent of the dermoids were found in the temporal half of the globe; of these, 76 percent were in the inferolateral quadrant, straddling the corneoscleral limbus. The majority of children had an oblique astigmatism in the involved eye. Epibulbar dermoids may be removed by careful superficial keratectomy, but caution should be exerted in excising lipodermoids because of the risks of affecting ocular motility and tear secretion.