Malignant childhood proptosis: study of 104 cases

Abstract

Children < or =18 years with malignant proptosis enrolled in ophthalmic tumor clinic at a tertiary cancer center from July 2003 to December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of proptosis among the pediatric cancer patients was 4.9%. Secondary tumors accounted for majority of cases (n=62, 59.6%) with retinoblastoma (51%) being the commonest cause of proptosis. Fourteen (13.5%) patients presented with bilateral proptosis; all but one had metastatic tumor as underlying cause. Metastatic malignancies had significantly lower hemoglobin and platelet count and higher white blood count. Therefore, careful analysis of symptomatology, hemogram, and those with bilateral proptosis warrant a hematologic work-up before imaging studies and invasive orbital biopsy.