Hydatid cysts may rarely occur in the orbit. Great care must be taken to avoid complications.
Clinical findings may include:
(1) proptosis/exophthalmos
(2) papilledema
(3) subconjunctival mass
(4) reduced ocular mobility
(5) other mass effect
The patient should have a history of living in or visiting a region where hydatid disease is found.
Ultrasound may be diagnostic with demonstration of a "double wall" sign (Betharia et al).
On CT scan the hydatid cyst may be hypodense or hyperdense compared to the vitreous humor.
Differential diagnosis
(1) cystic schwannoma
(2) other soft tissue tumor
(3) benign orbital cyst
If no other hydatid cysts are found (lung, liver, etc), then the infection is termed primary.
Rupture of the cyst during removal can result in a severe anaphylactic reaction and/or secondary implantation. Intraoperative aspiration may help to avoid cyst rupture.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
