Surgical Treatment of Massive Teratoma of the Orbit

Congenital orbital teratoma: a rare case with intracranial extension

INTRODUCTION

Teratoma is the most common congenital tumor, but the orbital location is rare. It is composed of tissues from ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Congenital orbital teratoma commonly presents as unilateral proptosis, with rapid growth, leading to exposure keratopathy.

DIAGNOSIS

Prenatal ultrasound may detect the orbital mass, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are better in demonstrating multilocular cystic and solid mass, without bone erosion. Laboratory tests should include alfa-fetoprotein (AFP) and B-human chorionic gonadotropin (B-HCG), and histopathologically, it contains all three germ cell layers components. The management is surgical removal of the lesion, the mature teratoma has a benign behavior, and the immature has a poor prognostic. We describe a rare case of congenital orbital teratoma with intracranial extension of the lesion, in which was treated with orbital exenteration. After surgery, AFP levels decreased, the middle face displacement has improved and development milestones were appropriate.

Congenital orbital teratoma: a case report with preservation of the globe and 18 years of follow-up

Background

Congenital orbital teratomas are extremely rare, usually benign neoplasms, comprised of cells originating from all three germ cell layers. Clinically the tumor appears solid, most of the times is intraconal and presents as a rapidly growing mass leading to a massive unilateral axial proptosis, chemosis, exposure keratopathy, markedly distended eyelids and often, loss of vision. To prevent these complications, tumor excision usually involves enucleation or even orbital exenteration.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 1-day old infant who presented with dramatic proptosis at birth due to a true congenital orbital teratoma. We describe the clinical findings, the preoperative neuroimaging, the surgical management which included complete tumor resection with preservation of the globe to allow for optimal orbital growth, the histopathological evaluation, and the clinical course during 18 years of follow up.

Conclusion

Every effort to salvage the globe should be made to achieve the best possible orbito-facial development. Furthermore, the value of prompt surgical management with a less invasive transconjunctival globe sparing procedure can be appreciated in our case.