[A retrospective study of 93 cases of orbital and eye tumors using tomodensitometry]

The purpose of this study was to review certain computed tomography (CT) criteria in relation to the histopathologic diagnosis of orbital tumours. One hundred and forty cases of orbital tumour were evaluated by CT between 1979 and 1992 at two tertiary-care hospitals. The radiologic material was available and the histopathologic diagnosis had been clearly established for only 93 of these; these cases were reviewed in detail for the study. The radiologic semiology of the cases was compared with the pathological diagnosis. The characteristics evaluated were tumour localization, attenuation, contrast enhancement, the presence of calcifications, the morphologic features and changes in the neighbouring bony structures. The authors present here the findings for the most commonly encountered tumours: uveal melanoma (observed in 50 cases), lymphoma (in 8), optic glioma (in 6), meningioma (in 6), dermoid cyst (in 5) and metastasis (in 5). Using the current literature for corroboration, the authors suggest an approach to diagnosis on the basis of the CT criteria discussed.