Conservative management of childhood orbital lymphangioma

Abstract

Repeated partial excisions are commonly performed for orbital lymphangiomas. Even with the advent of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser as an adjunct to subtotal excision, surgical complications remain common. The authors report six cases of childhood orbital lymphangioma, biopsy proven in five, in which conservative management of recurrent hemorrhage without additional surgery resulted in subsidence of proptosis and return of 20/20 visual acuity. Surgical aggressiveness for recurrent hemorrhages must be tempered by the knowledge that normal vision often results from cautious observation alone.