[Orbital lymphomas. Presentation of nine cases]

Abstract

Purpose: To report nine cases of orbital lymphomas.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical records of nine patients diagnosed with orbital lymphoma and performed a literature search related to this condition.

Results: We present a series of five women and four males with orbital lymphoma involving the orbital region. In our cases, most patients presented concurrent extraorbital lymphoma when the orbital disease was first noticed (seven out of nine patients). We found three MALT lymphomas, two follicular lymphomas, two non-Hodgkin large B cell lymphomas, one low grade B cell lymphoma, and one mantle cell lymphoma. Eight patients were alive and one had died as a consequence of his lymphoma at the time this report was written.

Conclusions: An increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin orbital lymphomas has been observed over the last three decades. The most common type in the orbital region is the MALT lymphoma. The clinical features observed in our series are similar to those reported in the literature. Since lymphomas are the most frequent malignant tumours in the orbit, usually with extraorbital involvement, and can be successfully treated in many cases, it is important for the ophthalmologist to be aware of this condition.