Objective: we present a 10year retrospective clinicopathologic study of 135 cases of orbito-ocular lesions. The aim is to document pattern of orbito-ocular lesions, with their site, age and sex distribution.
Materials and methods: The materials consisted of slides, paraffin embedded tissue blocks and histology request forms of all orbito-ocular samples received at the Morbid Anatomy Department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba Lagos between 1994 and 2003.
Results: A total of 135 samples from 75(56%) males and 60(44%) females were analysed. The conjunctival, intraocular, orbital and eye lid lesions accounted for 27(20.1%), 75(55.5%), 18(13.4%) and 15(11%) cases respectively. The ages ranged from 20 days to 79 years with a mean age of 35 years. Sixty nine cases (51.1%) of all orbito-ocular lesions were seen in children of age 15 years and below. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest malignant conjunctival lesion (4 out of the 5 cases) occurring in adults with a mean age of 45 years. Retinoblastoma accounted for 46(85%) of all orbito-ocular malignancies with the peak in the 1-5year age group accounting for 37(80 %). Panophthalmitis, endophthalmitis and phthisis bulbi were common non neoplastic lesions requiring enucleation. Pseudotumour and rhabdomyosarcoma accounted for 5(27.8 %) and 4(22.2 %) cases respectively of all orbital lesions.
Conclusion: Retinoblastoma remains the commonest ocular malignancy while rhabdomyosarcoma was the commonest orbital malignancy with both occurring in childhood. Inflammatory lesions unfortunately are important orbito-ocular lesions requiring surgery in our environment.