PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Devron H Char
AU  - Theodore Miller
AU  - Stewart Kroll
TI  - Orbital metastases: diagnosis and course
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.81.5.386
DP  - 1997 May 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 386--390
VI  - 81
IP  - 5
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/81/5/386.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/81/5/386.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol1997 May 01; 81
AB  - AIMS Three issues were investigated in adult outpatients with orbital metastases. One, how accurate are current diagnostic methods? Two, what is the survival associated with orbital metastases? Three, did any clinical factors correlate with prognosis in this patient cohort? METHODS Retrospective analysis of patients with orbital metastases managed in an ocular oncology unit. RESULTS 11 of 31 (35%) patients had no known primary malignancy at the time of orbital diagnosis. In eight of 31 (26%) computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging data did not yield the diagnosis of metastases. In 15 of 17 (88%) cases a fine needle aspiration biopsy was diagnostic. Several types of therapy were used. The median survival was 1.3 years. CONCLUSION Orbital metastases, even with newer diagnostic techniques can be difficult to diagnose. Management was based on location and extent of both orbital and systemic disease as well as vision. In most cases, orbital symptoms were palliated; however, survival was dismal. No clinical factor correlated with prognosis.