Orbital lesions. Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology

Over seven years (1983-1989), 30 orbital lesions were subjected to fine needle aspiration (FNA). The age of the patients ranged from 1.5 to 65 years. The male:female ratio was 16:14. The presenting features were proptosis (15 cases), swelling of eyelids (6), swelling of medial or lateral canthus (6), swelling of infraorbital margin (2) and recurrent orbital mass in a surgically treated case of retinoblastoma (1). FNA was performed on intraocular sites in 2 cases, orbital cavity in 11 and adnexal swellings in 17. The cytodiagnoses were various inflammatory lesions (5 cases), benign cystic lesions (4), meibomian gland carcinoma (3), retinoblastoma (3), meningioma (2) and pleomorphic adenoma (2). Basal cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, optic nerve glioma, acute myeloid leukemia, leiomyosarcoma and neurofibroma accounted for 1 case each. In 4 cases the cytologic specimens were inadequate.