Primary orbital hemangiopericytoma. An aggressive and potentially malignant neoplasm
J. W. Henderson and G. M. Farrow
The aggressive behavior and potentially lethal nature of some
hemangiopericytomas primary in the orbit are generally unknown in the field
of ophthalmology. The neoplasm is not common in the orbit, and reports in
the ophthalmic literature usually describe single-case examples of the
neoplasm with short-term periods of observation. Two in our series of 11
patients died of metastasis 35 years after the onset of symptoms. Another
patient died of local orbital recurrence with secondary invasion of the
intracranial vault, which was possibly related to heavy radiotherapy. In
the orbit, those neoplasms frequently are circumscribed in their growth.
Complete and intact removal is recommended. If the tumors are incompletely
excised, recurrences are frequent but may not be manifest as long as ten
years after surgery.
