Pediatric orbital multifocal cavernous hemangiomas associated with bilateral arachnoid cysts of the middle cranial fossa

Abstract

Cavernous hemangiomas of the orbit are benign vascular growths that commonly occur in adults and account for 6% of all intraorbital tumors. Multifocal intraorbital cavernous hemangiomas are quite rare. The reported incidence of arachnoid cysts accounts for only 1% of lesions that occupy intracranial space, and they are nearly always sporadic and single. So far, the authors have not encountered any study reporting the coexistence of bilateral arachnoid cysts of the middle cranial fossa and orbital multifocal cavernous hemangiomas. In this report, they describe a 10-year-old boy with such a hemangioma that included the eyelid, conjunctiva, and retrobulbar space. His was the first case of a surgically treated pediatric orbital multifocal cavernous hemangioma associated with bilateral arachnoid cysts of the middle cranial fossa. An association between arachnoid cysts, intracranial cavernous malformations, and bilateral arachnoid cysts and metabolic disorders has been reported. The authors report on the coexistence of orbital multifocal cavernous hemangiomas and bilateral arachnoid cysts of the middle cranial fossa. Based on these observations, they believe that all patients with bilateral temporal arachnoid cysts should be screened for genetic disorders. In addition, the possibility of orbital cavernous malformations should be kept in mind for the follow-up period, and patients should be evaluated for possible symptoms of this condition.