ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features, histologic classification and treatment outcomes of patients with malignant lymphoma of the eye. METHODS: The participants included 22 patients with malignant lymphoma of the orbit and ocular adnexa treated at our hospital between May 1994 and September 2001. The authors retrospectively analyzed the sex, age, location of mass, histopathologic type, stage and results of the treatment. RESULTS: Of the 22 patients, 14 cases were male and 8 were female. The age ranged from 26 to 68 years (mean age 43 years). The most common presenting complaint was slowly growing mass of the eye. Histopathologic studies revealed extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, MALT type in 20 cases (91%). The stages of lymphomas were included I AE in 14 cases (63%), II AE in 3 cases (14%), III AE in 3 cases (14%) and IV A in 2 cases (9%). Patients received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Twenty out of 22 cases (91%) achieved a complete remission. During the mean follow-up of 26 months, two patients died of progression of the disease; one patient had extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, MALT type of stage III AE and the other patient had diffuse large cell lymphoma of stage II AE. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy can produce durable remission in the majority of the patients with localized primary orbital lymphoma. Chemotherapy should be performed for the patients with highly malignant lymphomas or lymphomas with systemic manifestations.