Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 47, Issue 1 , Pages 50-54, January 2002

Caught by a Masquerade:

Sclerosing Orbital Inflammation

  • Jennifer E Thorne, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Departments of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA USA
    • Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
    • ,
  • Nicholas J Volpe, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Departments of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint address: Inquiries to corresponding author: N.J. Volpe, MD, Scheie Eye Institute, 51 N. 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
    • ,
  • Allan E Wulc, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Departments of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA USA
    • ,
  • Steven L Galetta, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Departments of Neurology, Scheie Eye Institute and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA USA

Abstract 

Idiopathic sclerosing inflammation of the orbit is a distinct form of orbital inflammatory disease characterized by slow and relentless involvement of orbital structures. It is this insidious and relentless course that makes distinction from neoplastic lesions clinically difficult. We report the case of a patient with a several-week history of headache and decreased vision that was originally thought to represent an optic nerve sheath meningioma, based on clinical and radiographic evaluation. Subsequent histopathology from an optic nerve biopsy, however, was more consistent with optic nerve glioma. Eventually, pathologic examination of whole sections through the optic nerve was required to establish and confirm the actual diagnosis of sclerosing orbital inflammation.

Keywords:  computed tomography, histopathology, optic nerve glioma, optic nerve sheath meningioma, sclerosing orbital inflammation, sclerosing pseudotumor

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PII: S0039-6257(01)00280-6

Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 47, Issue 1 , Pages 50-54, January 2002

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