Aetiological pattern of orbital tumours in India and their clinical presentations. A 20-year retrospective study

276 cases of orbital tumours were seen over a period of 20 years (1969-1989). All were diagnosed on the basis of full clinical evaluation, special investigations, and histopathological examination. There were 76 cases with primary benign tumours constituting 27.5%. The most common tumour in this group was mixed tumour of the lacrimal gland (27 cases). This is in contrast to the findings of European and American surgeons who found haemangiomas to be the commonest. However, in the author's series haemangiomas came next with 21 cases. Lymphangioma was the rarest tumour (four cases). Primary malignant tumour constituted 28.6% (79 cases). Malignant lymphoma was the most common (20 cases). This is again at variance with the findings of surgeons from other countries who found rhabdomyosarcoma to be the commonest. Usually they appear in the orbit as part of a generalized disease but in five of the author's cases the tumour appeared initially in the orbit and then became generalized. The author had two rare cases ...