Nine-year-old girl with a respiratory epithelial cyst of the orbit

Nine-year-old girl with a respiratory epithelial cyst of the orbit. Objective: Here we describe the clinical and histopathological characteristics of a nine-year-old girl with an intraorbital mass of the left orbit, and review the relevant literature.

Results: Imaging data and surgical biopsy revealed an intraconal cystic lesion in the medial-inferior quadrant of the left orbit. The cyst was lined with ciliated pseudostratified epithelium, consistent with a respiratory epithelial cyst of the orbit. Cyst marsupialisation and partial mass removal alleviated symptoms, and no cyst recurrence was observed during followup. The literature suggests that this is an uncommon cause of a cystic orbital mass.

Conclusion: Respiratory epithelial cysts of the orbit should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraorbital masses. Surgical excision of such a lesion should be limited to avoid damaging orbital structures. Respiratory epithelial cysts of the orbit generally follow a benign course, and recurrence of ocular symptoms is rare.