[Remarkable clinical findings relating to the differential diagnosis of noninflammatory exophthalmos]

Communication concerning the diagnosis and treatment of noninflammatory vascular exophthalmos: (1) 12-year-old boy suffering from a 4 mm proptosis on the left eye, and a hemangioma of the left upper lid. Computerized tomography showed an orbital tumor whose dilated vessels extended into the foramen opticum. Since the patient was amblyopic the treatment was merely cosmetic, consisting in diathermic puncture of the lid hemangioma. -(2) 45-year-old woman suffering from an axial proptosis of the right eye. Computerized tomography showed a retrobulbar tumor compressing the optic nerve. Surgical removal of a cavernous hemangioma by the neurosurgeon led to restitutio ad integrum. -(3) 8-year-old boy with intermittent exophthalmus on the left. No tumor detectable in routine examinations. External carotid angiography finally revealed an arteriovenous shunt between the A. maxillaris and the V. orbitalis superior. -These three descriptions of patients suffering from exophthalmus illustrate currently available possibilities of ophthalmologic and neurosurgical collaboration for diagnosis and treatment.