Orbital hyperostosis following exenteration.

PURPOSE: To report the development of unilateral, diffuse hyperostosis of orbital bones in 3 postexenteration patients.

METHODS

Three advanced cases of periorbital and orbital malignancies are presented, and their clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features are reviewed.

RESULTS

Postexenteration CT showed thickened orbital walls in all 3 cases. The histopathology revealed necrotic destruction of the trabeculae mixed with randomly distributed chronic inflammatory cells and fibrosis and inflamed overlying granulation tissue.

CONCLUSION

The delayed healing of the granulation tissue during secondary intention in these cases is quite likely the cause of chronic osteitis of the underlying orbital bone that, in turn, led to postoperative diffuse hyperostosis.