Malignant Mesenchymoma of the orbit - Case report and review of the literature

Objective: Malignant mesenchymoma are rare tumors of the orbit. From 1961 using English-language literature, we present the sixth such case and the first case with three malignant components. Design: Interventional case report. Methods: The clinical presentation, workup, surgical treatment, and pathology of a case of malignant mesenchymoma of the orbit are presented. Results: Although very rare, these tumors should be in the differential diagnosis of any tumor of the orbit. The prognosis is unknown because of the lack of follow-up of reported patients. Conclusions: This malignant orbital mesenchymoma, an entity not accepted by all pathologists, was more complex than cases previously reported in the English literature in demonstrating rhabdomyosarcomatous, chondrosarcomatous, and osteogenic differentiation. (C) 2003 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.