Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit: CT and pathologic correlation

Our plain-English summary of Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit: CT and pathologic correlation, by S. Festa, H.J. Lee, P. Langer, et al (Neuroradiology, 1999).

The study

• Authors: S. Festa, H.J. Lee, P. Langer, K.M. Klein
• Journal: Neuroradiology
• Published: 1999;41(1):52-4
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 28 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

We report the CT findings of a solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit. The radiologic features included relatively homogeneous contrast enhancement and smooth remodelling of the bones of the orbit, findings consistent with the benign nature of this relatively rare tumor.

In plain English

This article was a case report describing one patient with a solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit, the bony socket around the eye. The authors noted that this spindle-cell tumor usually arises in the pleura. The article does not mention asbestos or any other exposure. The patient was a 61-year-old man with a 3-year history of slowly worsening, painless bulging of the right eye (proptosis). A contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a large mass in the right orbit. It enhanced fairly evenly and had a central area suggesting dead tissue (necrosis). The mass enlarged the orbit, bowed its floor into the maxillary sinus and extended into the infraorbital canal. The text reported no bone destruction or calcification, but a figure caption said the mass eroded the inferior and lateral orbital walls. Before surgery the authors considered other tumors, including cavernous hemangioma, fibrous histiocytoma and a nerve-related lesion. The mass was completely removed. Tissue tests, including CD34 staining, showed a benign spindle-cell tumor consistent with solitary fibrous tumor. The authors stated that they identified no imaging feature that distinguished this tumor from other benign orbital tumors.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (single patient) with CT and pathology correlation
• Who was studied: One 61-year-old man with slowly progressive, painless proptosis of the right eye over 3 years. The authors were at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, USA. The dates of care are not given.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other environmental or occupational exposure is mentioned. The article concerns the imaging and pathology of an orbital tumor.
• Main results:
  • Contrast-enhanced CT showed a large right orbital mass with relatively homogeneous enhancement and a central unenhancing area suggesting necrosis.
  • The mass bowed the orbital floor into the maxillary sinus.
  • The mass was described as locally invasive, extending into the infraorbital canal.
  • The main text reported no evidence of bone destruction or of calcification within the mass.
  • In contrast to the main text, the Fig. 2 caption described the mass as eroding the inferior and lateral walls of the orbit.
  • Before surgery, the differential diagnosis included cavernous hemangioma, fibrous histiocytoma and neurogenic lesion.
  • The patient underwent total resection of the mass.
  • Routine histology, special stains and immunohistochemistry, including CD34 reactivity, gave a diagnosis of a benign spindle-cell tumor consistent with solitary fibrous tumor.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors stated that they identified no imaging characteristic that differentiated solitary fibrous tumor from other benign orbital tumors. In their abstract, they described the CT findings as consistent with the tumor's benign nature.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Solitary Fibrous Tumor.

Related studies

• Solitary fibrous tumor of the nasal cavity and orbit — M. Fukunaga, S. Ushigome, et al. (1995)
• Solitary fibrous tumour of the orbit — R. Sciot, J. Goffin, et al. (1996)
• A case of malignant pleural mesothelioma with metastasis to the orbit — K. Kubota, K. Furuse, et al. (1996)
• Somatic and visceral solitary fibrous tumors in the abdomen and pelvis: cross-sectional imaging spectrum — A.K. Shanbhogue, S.R. Prasad, et al. (2011)
• CT findings in benign fibrous mesothelioma of the pleura: pathologic correlation in nine patients — K.S. Lee, J.G. Im, et al. (1992)
• Radiologic-pathologic correlation of mesothelioma tumor volume — S.G. Armato, P. Li, et al. (2015)

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