Spindle cell lipoma of the orbit

B. L. Johnson and J. G. Linn Jr

A 42-year-old woman had an orbital mass lesion removed surgically that proved histologically to be a spindle cell lipoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a spindle cell lipoma arising in the orbit. This specific type of lipoma occurs chiefly in male patients and is believed to affect the shoulder and posterior neck regions almost exclusively. Spindle cell lipomas, while having unusual features histologically, are benign and should not be mistaken for liposarcomas or other spindle cell soft-tissue tumors.