A Case of Isolated Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Orbit

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a case of isolated squamous cell carcinoma of the orbit. CASE SUMMARY: A 75-year-old man with over a 50 pack-year history of smoking presented discomfort and visual disturbance of the left eye for several months. His best-corrected visual acuity was 0.3, intraocular pressure was 9 mm Hg, and extraocular movements were normal. Slit-lamp examinations revealed no specific findings in the anterior segment in the left eye. However, retinal exams showed an oval-shaped, juxtapapillary mass-like lesion associated with retinal folding in the left eye. A huge, distorted echoic mass with an initial prominent spike and low-to-medium internal reflectivity with diminishing amplitude was observed on ocular ultrasonography. Enhanced CT revealed a highly-intense, irregular-circumscribed heterogeneous mass (2.0 x 2.0 x 1.5) in the superomedial quadrant of the left eye. Metastatic workups, including bone scan and CT of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen, were unremarkable. One week after the initial visit, the patient experienced pain and reduced visual acuity (light perception) in the left eye. Following the diagnosis, enucleation with tumor resection and hydroxyapatite implantation was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed a moderated-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma invading the sclera. The patient subsequently underwent radiation treatment and no evidence of recurrence was reported 6 months after surgery.