Metastasis of small cell lung cancer to bilateral extraocular muscles: a case report

BACKGROUND

Orbital metastasis is a possible complication of small cell lung cancer and a pattern of bilateral invasion of the extraocular muscles has rarely been reported in literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 46-year-old white male with a past medical history of smoking and stage IV small cell lung carcinoma presented with loss of vision and pain in the left eye. Examination revealed bilateral proptosis and left afferent pupillary defect, and visual acuity was hand motion on the left eye and 4/10 on the right eye. An orbital computed tomography scan showed a compression of the left optic nerve between the extraocular muscles at the apex, and a lateral canthotomy was performed for a new-onset compressive optic neuropathy, with residual visual improvement. There was also significant enlargement of the extraocular muscles in the right orbit. The patient was maintained in palliative treatment with both chemotherapy and local medical and surgical (amniotic membrane cover for exposure keratopathy) ophthalmological treatments until he eventually died 5 months after.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral metastasis to the extraocular muscles is a very rare manifestation of small cell lung cancer and the palliative treatment in these cases is challenging.

Ptosis secondary to orbital metastasis undetected by magnetic resonance imaging: A case report

We report a patient with isolated ptosis secondary to orbital metastasis but no evidence of a neoplastic process on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 69-year-old male was referred to our hospital with ptosis of the right upper eyelid and secondary frontalis muscle overaction on the left side for six months. The palpebral fissure was 3mm on the right and 16mm on the left, and levator function was 6mm and 19mm respectively. Three years previously, he had undergone surgical resection of the left lower lobe of the lung due to a T1 N0 M0 adenocarcinoma, and no recurrence had since been observed. An MRI was performed to rule out ptosis secondary to metastasis. Thyroid dysfunction and myasthenia were also ruled out. The ptosis was attributed to an isolated microvascular third nerve palsy. A standard external levator advancement was performed. Six months after the surgery, the patient presented with intense pain, minimal ptosis, edema and diplopia. A new MRI revealed an orbital metastasis measuring 2.4×1.0×1.6cm in the superior orbit, exerting mass effect on the superior rectus and the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. A positron emission tomography scan revealed a recurrence of the lung cancer with multiple bony metastases. The patient underwent chemotherapy consisting of the taxol-carboplatin protocol. Our report highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion of a neoplastic etiology in patients with mild symptoms and a history of cancer even if imaging does not initially reveal a mass or infiltration.

Diplopia Secondary to Gastric Adenocarcinoma Metastasis to the Superior Oblique Muscle

While gastric cancer often metastasizes to the liver, lymph nodes, and lungs, skeletal muscle metastasis is a rare event. The most common primary tumor metastasizing to the extraocular structures is breast cancer. Gastric carcinoma metastatic to the extraocular muscles is a rare event announcing a spreading disease with a bad prognosis. Here, we report a case of an asymptomatic gastric carcinoma metastasizing to the superior oblique muscle diagnosed via an endoscopic endonasal biopsy.

Discrepancy in the Ki67 labeling index of brain and orbital metastatic lesions from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors: A case report

Proliferative activity examined by Ki67 labeling index (LI) plays pivotal role for managing gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumor (GI-NET). Few reports indicated the intra-patient heterogeneity of Ki67-LI among metastatic tumor sites. We report a case of brain and orbital metastases from GI-NET that showed discrepancy of the Ki67-LI. A 71 year-old woman who was diagnosed as GI-NET with liver and bone metastases and performed medical therapy, had headache, right exophthalmos, and pain of right eye and was referred to our department. Magnetic resonance image revealed that tumors in the left occipital region and right orbit. We diagnosed as metastatic brain and orbital tumors from GI-NET. Surgical removal of both symptomatic lesions was performed and the diagnosis was pathologically confirmed. Immunohistochemical studies revealed the discrepancy of the Ki67-LI of the lesions (brain tumor: 8% versus orbital tumor: 22%). Sampling of multiple metastatic sites may prevent underestimate tumor proliferative activity.

Orbital and intracranial metastasis secondary to thyroid carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

An exponential increase in thyroid cancer has been reported in Mexico with 12,122 new cases in 2018 it represents the most common endocrinological cancer described by the World Health Organization. Attributing it local and distant metastatic lesions, being unusual the orbital condition.

CLINICAL CASE

A 56-year-old woman diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia 19 years ago, presented with left eye proptosis and tearing, headaches, worsening left facial neuralgia.

CONCLUSIONS

In these cases, the surgical treatment is essential to improve patient's symptoms and quality of life.

Pleomorphic Invasive Lobular Cancer of the Breast Presenting with Orbital Metastasis: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Orbital metastasis of breast cancer is an unusual condition, especially in the absence of a previous diagnosis of primary breast cancer. The main MRI findings in patients with orbital metastasis are retroorbital soft tissue with thickening of extraocular muscles. Paradoxical enophtalmos secondary to fibrosis can be seen.

CASE REPORT

In this case report we present a 75-year-old female patient with left eye pain and blurred vision and retraction. Although there was no evidence of malignancy in the biopsy of the orbita; since the patient's complaints continued despite idiopathic pseudotumor treatment; mammography was recommended to rule out the possibility of breast cancer metastasis. Her mammography revealed a suspicious lesion in the left breast and proved to be pleomorphic invasive lobular cancer.

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer metastasis should be kept in mind in women with pseudotumor -like involvement of the orbita.

Discrepancy in the Ki67 labeling index of brain and orbital metastatic lesions from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors: A case report

Proliferative activity examined by Ki67 labeling index (LI) plays pivotal role for managing gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumor (GI-NET). Few reports indicated the intra-patient heterogeneity of Ki67-LI among metastatic tumor sites. We report a case of brain and orbital metastases from GI-NET that showed discrepancy of the Ki67-LI. A 71 year-old woman who was diagnosed as GI-NET with liver and bone metastases and performed medical therapy, had headache, right exophthalmos, and pain of right eye and was referred to our department. Magnetic resonance image revealed that tumors in the left occipital region and right orbit. We diagnosed as metastatic brain and orbital tumors from GI-NET. Surgical removal of both symptomatic lesions was performed and the diagnosis was pathologically confirmed. Immunohistochemical studies revealed the discrepancy of the Ki67-LI of the lesions (brain tumor: 8% versus orbital tumor: 22%). Sampling of multiple metastatic sites may prevent underestimate tumor proliferative activity.

Acute inflammatory presentation of orbital metastasis from urothelial carcinoma: a case report

Orbital metastasis of urothelial carcinoma is very rare; only 22 cases have been documented. In this case report, we describe a patient 1 month status post transurethral resection of urothelial carcinoma who presented with a clinical picture suggestive of orbital cellulitis. However, neither broad-spectrum antibiotics nor a subsequent trial of methylprednisolone was effective at relieving the patient's symptoms. CT imaging of the head, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremity showed no signs of metastatic disease. Six days after presentation, punch biopsy of the mass was performed and confirmed urothelial carcinoma metastatic to the orbit. The patient died 3 months later due to multiple sites of distant metastasis. This case report suggests that a high index of suspicion for orbital metastasis is important for patients with a history of urothelial carcinoma with new and acute onset of ocular symptoms and emphasizes the need for urgent systemic evaluation and treatment.

An early orbital metastasis from breast cancer: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Orbital metastases from solid cancers are infrequent or underestimated, since they represent only 1-13% of tumors of the orbit. They are even less frequent in breast cancer and are rarely diagnosed. We report a case of an early diagnosed orbital metastasis from breast cancer to an extra ocular muscle.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 33-year-old female patient who presented, following the diagnosis of her breast cancer, headache, a progressive decrease in visual acuity of the right eye and diplopia. Brain imaging revealed a tissue process at the expense of the internal rectus muscle, which biopsy pointed to a secondary lesion of breast cancer.

DISCUSSION

Extraocular muscles are rarely infiltrated by metastasis from distant sites. They are mostly asymptomatic and suggest a systematic spread of the disease. The treatment is generally palliative and the prognosis is generally poor.

CONCLUSION

Orbital metastases from breast cancer are certainly rare but are associated with significant morbidity. In order to make a precise diagnosis and offer an appropriate treatment, healthcare professionals must remain vigilant in the face of any ophthalmological symptoms.

Fronto-orbital metastasis of a prostatic adenocarcinoma

Prostate cancer often spreads to bony sites, but other metastatic sites are exceptional. Brain localization accounts for less than 4% of postmortem cases.The cerebral metastases of a prostatic ADK are rare, the prognosis is unfortunate and the treatment is based on androgen deprivation and radiotherapy. We describe a case of orbital metastasis of prostatic adenocarcinoma and we highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic singularity of this affection.

Orbital Metastasis from Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Case Report and Literature Review

Orbital metastases are rare. Breast cancer represents the first etiology to be evoked in carcinomas. We report a rare case of a young 43-year-old patient who developed significant orbital metastasis 2 months after the end of adjuvant treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. Good partial response was shown with an improvement of symptoms under chemotherapy (docetaxel combined with carboplatin), zoledronic acid and palliative radiotherapy. The patient quickly progressed in the pulmonary, hepatic and lymph nodes with mucocutaneous jaundice related to hepatic dysfunction after which she died within 20 days. Different etiologies are responsible for the orbital tumor syndrome. This orbital metastasis may constitute an inaugural mode of expression of the tumor affection. The frequency of metastases of breast cancer overexpressing estrogen receptor can be explained biologically by the presence of estrogen receptors in hormone acting as target choroid tissue steroids for lacrimal secretion. On the other hand, in triple-negative breast cancer, since the hormone receptors are negative, the pathophysiology of these orbital metastases remains unknown. At this stage, the treatment remains palliative, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and bisphosphonates, and the prognosis is grim.

Orbital metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms: clinical implications and outcomes

PURPOSE

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) may rarely metastasise to the orbit. Published data on epidemiology, incidence and preferred treatment is limited. We present the largest cohort of symptomatic and asymptomatic NEN patients with orbital metastases and data on epidemiological parameters, symptoms as well as diagnostic/treatment modalities used.

METHODS

We identified patients from our internal NEN database of patients who had also undergone Gallium⁶⁸-DOTATATE PET (Ga⁶⁸-DOTA). The diagnosis of orbital metastatic NEN was made on somatostatin receptor imaging and confirmed on a dedicated MRI of orbits.

RESULTS

We identified 27 patients of 994 patients evaluated with Ga⁶⁸-DOTATATE PET imaging during their surveillance monitoring in our department; 15 female, average age at NEN diagnosis 53 years and orbital metastatic NEN diagnosis 59 years. The majority of NEN primaries originated from small bowel (18/27, 66.4%) or pancreas 4/27 (4/27, 14.8%). Hepatic with or without concomitant skeletal metastases were present in 23/27 (85%) of patients. Ocular symptoms and/or signs were evident in 11/27 (41%) of patients. 5/11 symptomatic patients underwent external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) resulting in complete symptoms resolution. The 5-year survival was estimated at 84.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Orbital metastases of NEN have a relatively low prevalence, more commonly associated with small bowel primary. Extraocular muscles are primarily affected, irrespectively of liver disease burden. Survival does not seem to be affected. EBRT is an efficacious treatment modality for both symptom relief and tumour growth control. Administration of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy may occasionally induce temporary ocular symptoms, which resolve following treatment with a short course of steroids.

Unilateral exophthalmos secondary to esophageal adenocarcinoma metastasis to the medial rectus muscle

A case is presented on a 51 year-old man with stage IV oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The patient was referred by the Oncology Department urgently for a same-day assessment by an ophthalmologist due to two weeks of severe unilateral exophthalmos and binocular diplopia. A comprehensive eye exam revealed the presence of an axial non-reductive exophthalmos and a limitation in left eye levoduction. A computed tomography scan was performed that showed a multiple lobed, intra-and extra-conal, heterogeneous left orbital mass, that surrounded the internal rectus muscle, compatible with metastasis, as well as another small extraconal mass at the base of the contralateral orbit. Palliative radiotherapy was then indicated. Metastases in the extraocular muscles are a very rare finding, but should be suspected in a case of unilateral exophthalmos and, if necessary, refer the patient to have the corresponding complementary tests performed.

Orbital metastasis as presenting symptom from a prostatic adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

To report a 72-year-old man with orbital metastasis as presenting symptoms from a prostatic adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

A complete ophthalmological evaluation with ultrasonography examination, kinetic perimetry, fluorescein angiography, and visually evoked potentials were performed. The patient underwent computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the orbit, and blood test for confirmation of the diagnosis. Bone infiltration rate of the cancer was evaluated with bone scintigraphy. Type of the tumor was assessed with orbital incision biopsy and histological analysis. The patient received systemic chemotherapy. Due to poor patient compliance, radiotherapy was not performed.

RESULTS

Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic retrobulbar lesion. At computed tomography examination of the orbit an expansive oval intraconical solid lesion with enhancement after medium contrast was found. Biopsy findings revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with immunohistochemical profile supporting prostate as the primary tumor site: negative for cytokeratin-7 and cytokeratin-20 and positive for prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific acid phosphatase, and alpha-methylacyl-CoA-racemase.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular signs and symptoms as first clinical presentation of a prostate cancer are relatively rare. Despite its very poor prognosis, a correct management and therapy can improve visual acuity, ocular symptoms, and median survival of cancer patients.

Lung adenocarcinoma presenting with an orbital metastasis

Orbital metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma is very rare. The incidence is only found to be approximately 7%–12% of lung cancer cases. The lack of knowledge about orbital metastasis results in misdiagnosis between malignant or benign lesion. This was a case of a 39-year-old woman complaining about a protruding left eye and a blind pain in the left eye characterized by hyperemesis eyeball. A CT scan of the orbital showed a soft tissue tumor in the fronto-naso-superomedial area of the left orbital with suspicion of infiltration of the medial rectus muscle, left bulbus oculi, lamina papyracea, and left frontal sinus wall which causes proptosis and soft tissue tumor in the left temporal region with suspicion of infiltration in the left sphenoid wing with an impression of metastasis. A Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) in the temporal and intra-orbital region showed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Moreover, findings of the chest x-ray and chest CT scan concluded that there was a tumor in the left lung, and a bronchoscopy found adenocarcinoma as the biopsy results.

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Orbital metastases of adenocarcinoma lung cancer are highly rare, approximately 7-12% of the existing cases of lung cancer.

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The commonest primary tumor sites for orbital metastasis include lung, prostate and breast.

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This case is quite challenging both to diagnosis and to treat.

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Multidisciplinary team needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Cognitive biases in orbital mass lesions - Lessons learned

Purpose

A patient’s presentation and clinical diagnosis can at times be clouded by their past medical history. Clinicians’ anchoring bias towards initial information, such as a history of cancer, may lead them astray when creating a differential diagnosis for a patient who presents with new signs and symptoms of a mass lesion, assuming metastatic disease without seeking tissue confirmation.

Methods

The presentation, workup, diagnosis, and treatment of two patients who presented with orbital masses in the context of a primary prostate cancer are presented in this report.

Results

In both cases, prostate cancer metastasis to the orbit was top on the differential. Ultimately, histopathological examination of biopsies taken from the orbital masses revealed orbital lymphoma in both patients.

Conclusion

With mounting rates of patients who have survived a previous cancer, multiple primary cancers within one patient are becoming increasingly common. While prostate cancer metastasis to the orbit is a relatively rare event, orbital lymphoma is a more common diagnosis in orbital masses. Therefore, when patients present with orbital masses in the context of prostate cancer, the conclusion should not immediately be metastasis and a tissue diagnosis should be sought; especially given that the treatment of these entities is different.

Orbital fat regeneration following hormonal treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma

Enophthalmos in the setting of breast cancer metastatic to the orbit results primarily from the disease pathogenesis, or secondary to treatment effects. Orbital volume restoration and fat regeneration following endocrine treatment monotherapy has not been previously reported. A 76- year-old previously healthy female presented with progressive right enophthalmos secondary to metastatic lobular breast carcinoma. Treatment with an aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) resulted in tumor regression and orbital fat restoration with a corresponding improvement in orbital volume and enophthalmos on clinical exam. The patient is alive on continued letrozole with no progressive disease ten years after diagnosis. This case illustrates the resilience of orbital soft tissues and ability of orbital fat to regenerate in face of breast cancer metastasis. We hypothesize that endocrine monotherapy, and avoidance of radiation therapy, allowed for differentiation of remaining orbital stem cells, and facilitated the fat regenerative process.

Orbital and conjunctival metastasis from lobular breast carcinoma

This article examines the clinical presentation of ocular metastasis from an infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma. We examined a conjunctival biopsy from a 69-year-old woman who developed unilateral conjunctival inflammation together with a neurotrophic corneal ulcer and proptosis. Infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma (ILBC) was diagnosed using routine histology and immunohistochemistry. She had a past history of a hormone receptor-positive infiltrating ILBC 11 years ago with cutaneous and diffuse osteoblastic metastases, and she was kept under treatment with lezotrol. Treatment was initiated with systemic corticosteroids but an annular conjunctival perilimbal infiltration was found to have spread, which did not respond either to local radiotherapy (total dose 60 Gy, 2 Gy per day). A new extensive corneal epithelial defect recurred, and because it had not responded to matrix therapy agent (RGTA, Cacicol®) eye drops, autologous serum eye drops and a therapeutic contact lens, a permanent total tarsorrhaphy was performed. Progression of the diffuse bone metastases was detected and the treatment with lezotrol was replaced by fulvestrant.Infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma is a rare cause of conjunctival metastasis. This aggressive malignancy did not respond to external beam radiotherapy.

Metastatic Breast Carcinoma to the Superior Oblique in a Male

We describe a case of breast cancer metastatic to the superior oblique, in a male. The patient was a 66-year-old Caucasian male with a history of stage IIIB rectal adenocarcinoma and stage IIA left breast carcinoma diagnosed 12 years and 5 years prior, respectively, who presented with headaches and intermittent diplopia. He underwent left total mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy 6 years prior, which showed ER/PR+, HER2/neu-, moderately-differentiated, infiltrating ductal carcinoma with 3/14 positive nodes. He completed adjuvant doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide and oral tamoxifen, and prior routine surveillance imaging had found no evidence of recurrent disease. MRI of the orbit revealed a 0.7 × 1.4 × 1.9 cm mass in the superomedial right orbit in the region of the superior oblique. Transcaruncular orbitotomy with biopsy of the superior oblique revealed metastatic breast carcinoma. Unfortunately, he developed new metastases. Post-operatively, he continues to have good vision with minimal diplopia.

Gastric Adenocarcinoma with Systemic Metastasis Involving the Intraocular Choroid and Duodenum

Gastric cancer with double metastasis to the orbit and duodenum is extremely rare. We report the case of a patient with gastric adenocarcinoma who presented with synchronous orbital and duodenal metastases at the time of initial diagnosis. A 60-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of visual disorder and pain in his right eye. He underwent ophthalmological examinations. The biopsy results suggested intraocular metastatic carcinoma. We conducted a systemic evaluation to identify primary malignancy. Finally, a diagnosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma with multi-organ metastasis was made. He planned to be treated with systemic chemotherapy.

Breast Cancer Metastasis Presenting as Conjunctival Chemosis

A 72-year-old woman presented with a painful right eye. A few weeks before, she had noticed a red, swollen area in the conjunctiva of the same eye. On slit lamp examination, it appeared as chemosis and vascular injection; artificial tears were prescribed. A month later, a firm mass developed on the superotemporal orbital rim, in the area of the lacrimal gland. A CT scan revealed infiltrative structures in both the left and right orbit, with contrast staining in the right lacrimal gland and near the left optic nerve. A biopsy was taken of the conjunctival swelling as well as of the lacrimal gland. Both tissues showed infiltration with lobular breast carcinoma metastases.

A case of orbital metastasis as disease progression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive lung cancer treated with crizotinib

Orbital metastasis of lung cancer is rare. It often causes visual disorder. To date, there are only a few case reports. Crizotinib is an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitor that leads to responses in most patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. Visual disorder is one of the popular adverse events of crizotinib, but the symptom almost decreases over time. We report a case of orbital metastasis as the disease progression of ALK-positive lung cancer treated with crizotinib. It should be kept in mind that orbital metastasis can be the disease progression of lung adenocarcinoma with ALK translocation treated with crizotinib. When physicians encounter a patient receiving crizotinib with visual disorder, we must distinguish between adverse events and orbital metastasis.

Exophthalmos as a first manifestation of small cell lung cancer: a long-term follow-up

Small cell lung cancer is characterized by rapid growth and early metastasis. Despite its sensitivity to cytotoxic therapy, until now treatments have failed to control or cure this disease in most patients. Orbital metastases are a rare manifestation of systemic malignancies. Breast and lung cancers represent more than two thirds of the primary cancer sites. Metastases to the eye and orbit develop in approximately 0.7–12% of patients with lung cancer. Here, we report a rare case of exophthalmos as the first manifestation of a metastatic carcinoma due to small cell lung cancer, and a 6-months follow-up with complete exophthalmic response to chemotherapy.

Orbital metastases as the first manifestation of lung adenocarcinoma

Reduction in visual acuity due to orbital metastasis is rarely the first sign of lung cancer and very few cases have been published in the literature. Here we report a rare case of lung adenocarcinoma with orbital metastasis as the first presenting sign. The incidence of primary tumors that metastasize to the orbit is approximately 7%. In 19% of the cases, there is no history of cancer when the patient presents with ophthalmic symptoms, and in 10%, the primary site remains obscure despite intensive systemic evaluation. Our patient showed a partial improvement in vision after successful combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Blurred vision due to orbital metastasis as the primary symptom of lung cancer is very uncommon. A great index of suspicion is essential when an orbital lesion appears.

Orbital metastatic angiosarcoma

We report a case of a 48-year-old man who developed metastatic angiosarcoma in her left orbit. A 48-year-old man was first sent to us for a check up of proptosis of the left eye. A left orbital tumor was recognized on orbital computed tomography scans. The open biopsy showed angiosarcoma. Chest X-ray films and thoracic computed tomography showed an abnormal mass in the left inferior lung field. Angiosarcoma was confirmed by transbronchial lung biopsy. In summary, we believed that the orbital tumour was an initial symptom of the metastasis ensuing from the lung angiosarcoma.

Rare case of orbital tumor

Most common malignancy involving orbit is secondary deposits. Orbital metastasis from thyroid malignancy is rare (3.6%) and is usually from follicular and medullary carcinoma thyroid. Here we are presenting the case report of a lady who presented with loss of vision and on evaluation was found to have orbital metastasis from papillary carcinoma thyroid.