Exophthalmos revealing of a malignant hemopathy in children about three cases

Abstract

The primary orbital location of a malignant hemopathy in children is unusual. Our aim was to orient the ophthalmologist and the pediatrician to a rare etiology of pediatric exophthalmos. We report the observations of three patients hospitalized for exophthalmos with a normal initial blood count but in whom the myelogram made the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia or plasmacytoma. Conclusion: The first orbital involvement in acute leukemia is called granulocytic sarcoma or chloroma. This diagnosis should be considered in the event of any tumoral proptosis and the myelogram should be part of the initial assessment even if the blood count is normal because early treatment improves the functional and vital prognosis.

Keywords

• orbital mass
• myelogram
• granulocytic sarcoma