title: Orbital intramuscular haemangioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the clinical and histopathological characteristics of an intramuscular haemangioma in the extraocular muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1989, an otherwise healthy 21-year-old female developed proptosis of the left eye. Clinical examination revealed a painless, non-compressible, retrobulbar lesion. No discoloration of skin or conjunctiva could be observed. The patient had no history of head injury. She underwent surgery three times over a period of 9 years, without reaching a diagnosis. The tumour increased slowly in size despite the operations and MR imaging suggested a tumour of angiomatous origin. Finally, radical surgery was performed with enucleation of the left eye and excision of affected extraocular muscles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathological examination of the removed orbital tumour showed a mixed type intramuscular haemangioma involving four extraocular muscles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the first case of an intramuscular haemangioma of the orbit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steen Rugaard
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Svend Erik
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Børgesen
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heegaard
authors.forename: Jan Ulrik
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Prause
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*