A Case of Orbital Mucocele Lined With Two Types of Epithelial Cells After Orbital Wall Fracture Repair

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The authors report a case of orbital mucocele lined with two types of histological epithelial cells developed after repair of the orbital wall fractures. CASE SUMMARY: A 53-year-old man presented with proptosis of the left eye for two years. The patient had a history of left orbital inferomedial wall fracture repair ten years earlier at a different hospital. Examination revealed 4 mm proptosis and superior globe displacement of the left eye. Restriction of left ocular movements on elevation, depression and adduction were observed. A computed tomography scan demonstrated a large, non-enhancing, cystic tumor in the left inferior orbit with the inferior and medial wall displaced toward the paranasal sinus. An orbital cystic tumor was excised with the removal of previously-inserted orbital implant via a transconjunctival and transcaruncular approach. The inferior, and medial orbital walls were reconstructed using a MEDPOR(R) TITAN(TM) implant. The initial pathologic diagnosis was epidermal cyst. Histopathologic re-review revealed an orbital cyst lined with both stratified squamous epithelium and pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, thus diagnosis was changed to orbital mucocele. Proptosis and restriction in ocular motility improved postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Mucocele formation should be considered in patients in whom a cyst developed after orbital fracture repair.