Orbital mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Abstract

Orbital lymphomas are rare conditions, and most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the orbit are extranodal lymphomas of B cells of the marginal zone of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (MALT). In this report, we describe a case of MALT-type marginal zone B lymphoma in the orbital region. A female patient, 45 years old, searched for ophthalmological care, complaining, for 15 years, of low visual acuity (VA) associated with nonpulsatile bilateral proptosis, VA of 20/30 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left eye, without other changes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and orbits showed solid expansive lesions in both orbital spaces, with biopsy and immunohistochemical study of the left orbit, showing lymphoproliferative syndrome, favoring B lymphoma of the MALT-type marginal zone. Thus, in view of the nonspecific initial presentation of MALT lymphoma, the use of imaging tests, as well as microsurgical biopsy, is essential for early diagnosis and surgical planning and constitutes the gold standard for adequate diagnostic elucidation.

Keywords

• marginal zone b-cell lymphomas
• orbital lymphoma
• proptosis