Orbital Pseudotumors

Orbital Pseudotumors are caused when tissues around the eye become inflamed. Certain orbital inflammations can look like tumors and are therefore call Pseudotumors. Orbital Pseudotumors can affect one or both eyes of relatively young patients (less than 50 years old). They are not considered cancer, because orbital Pseudotumors cannot invade other tissues or spread throughout the body. Most common symptoms include pain to the eye, decreased vision, eyelid swelling, and red eye. Severe cases of orbital Pseudotumors may push the eye forward to the extent that the lids can no longer protect the cornea, leading to drying of the affected eye. There is no known cause for orbital Pseudotumors. In most mild cases there is no need for treatment. Severe cases may require high does of steroids or surgical removal.

This is an axial contrast CT of the orbits shows abnormal right scleral thickening, assiciated with stranding in the orbital fat and mild thickening of the extraocular muscle tendon attachments. The right medial rectus muscle is slightly larger than the left.