Primary orbital lymphoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS . Localized orbital non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a rare form of extranodal lymphoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of 48 patients presenting with stage I-E non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS . Out of 118 charts of patients with lymphoproliferative lesions, those of 48 patients with stage I-E orbital lymphoma seen over a 22-year period from 1977 through 1999 were reviewed. RESULTS . Twenty-five patients were male and 23 were female. Their mean age was 58.7 (12–85) years. The mass was localized inside the orbit in 37 cases and in the lacrimal gland region in 11 cases; bilateral involvement was observed in two cases. The duration of the symptoms at the time of presentation ranged from 10 days to 10 years with a mean duration of 18 months. The 24 cases with low-grade lymphoma are all alive without disease, whatever therapeutic approach was performed (biopsy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy). In intermediate and high-grade NHL the rate of recurrence after chemotherapy has been 50% and 33%, respectively, compared to 75% and 50% after biopsy alone and 75% after radiotherapy (not administered in high-grade forms). CONCLUSION . The therapeutic approach to localized orbital non-Hodgkin's lymphoma must take the histologic grading into consideration. The 24 cases with low-grade lymphoma had a good prognosis. The 17 cases with the intermediate-grade form and the 7 cases with the high-grade form had a better prognosis when treated with chemotherapy.