Pediatric Orbital Tumor in Abidjan: Epidemiological Review of 79 Cases in the Ophthalmology Department of Treichville University Hospital (Ivory Coast))

Introduction: Orbital malignancies in children and teenagers are rare entities that are defined as neoplasias developed at the expense of orbit structures. When diagnosed late, the functional and vital prognosis of patients can be at stake.
In order to make an assessment and highlight their specificities, we describe the epidemiological features of orbital malignancies in children and teenagers aged 0 to 18 years.

Methods: We performed a retrospective and descriptive cross-sectional study on all cases of orbital malignancies monitored at Treichville University Hospital over a period of 5 years, from January 2012 to December 2016.
All patients aged 0 to 18 years followed at Treichville University Hospital with histopathology confirmation of malignancy of the orbit were included.

Results: We recorded 79 cases of orbital malignancies in patients aged 3 months to 18 years with an average age of 4.34 years. There was a male predominance with a sex ratio (M \ F) of 1.3. The average consultation time was 9.49 months. The majority of patients came from poor socioeconomic groups that is 70%. Exophthalmos was the main sign found during consultation in 93.67% of cases. The most common tumors in this population were retinoblastoma spread to the orbit, 51 cases (64.56%), Burkitt’s lymphoma, 12 cases (15.19%) and Rhabdomyosarcoma 09 cases (11.39%) respectively.
Diagnostic and / or therapeutic management consisted of excisional biopsy in 38 cases, mutilating surgery in 28 cases and fine needle biopsy in 13 cases.

Conclusion: Orbital malignancies have a severe prognosis due to their late diagnosis. Exophthalmos remains the main sign and etiologies remain varied with at the top retinoblastoma spread to the orbit. This series reinforces the need to make early diagnosis to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with these tumors.

Keywords: malignancy, orbit, exophthalmos, retinoblastoma spread to the orbit, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, poor social conditions.