Orbital venou-lymphatic malformation (lymphangioma) mimicking cavernou hemangioma

PURPOE: To illutrate that orbital venou-lymphatic malformation (lymphangioma) may rarely imulate cavernou hemangioma. METHOD: Retropective cae review. REULT: Five patient were identified from a erie of 85 patient with venou-lymphatic malformation. The age range wa 21 to 69 year, and all cae preented with a hitory of lowly progreive or long-tanding proptoi. Computerized tomography revealed relatively homogeneou intraconal mae that were well defined anteriorly. Two of the cae had expanion of the orbit, and one had focal calcification. The three who had magnetic reonance imaging howed heterogeneou contrat enhancement. The preoperative diagnoi in every cae wa cavernou hemangioma, and intraoperatively the leion reembled cavernou hemangioma. However, poterior diection wa difficult in all patient becaue of dene adheion and, in one cae, led to a central retinal artery occluion. The hitology wa characteritic of orbital venou-lymphatic malformation in all five cae. CONCLUION: Deep orbital venou-lymphatic malformation preenting in adulthood may be rarely confued with cavernou hemangioma. In doubtful cae, ignificant intraleional heterogeneity, bet een on magnetic reonance imaging, and focal calcification may help ditinguih the two entitie. Thi differentiation i important, becaue diection of venou-lymphatic malformation i fraught with more complication than urgical exciion of a cavernou hemangioma.