title: Surgical treatment of orbital tumors at a single institution.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors reviewed the experience of 19 patients with orbital tumors and summarize the clinical features, surgical treatment and outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors searched the database for all patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of orbital tumors at a single institution between 1999 and 2007. Data from clinical notes, surgical reports, and radiological findings were obtained for the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orbital tumors constituted a heterogenous array of histopathology. The presenting symptoms were exophthalmos (52.6%), visual disturbance (26.3%) and pain (21.1%). The surgical approaches used were transcranial in 17 patients. Tumors located in the intraconal or perioptic space were surgically excised using a frontoorbital approach (8 cases), while pterional (3 cases), orbital (2 cases) and combined approaches (6 cases) were used for tumors in other sites. Total resection of tumors was achieved in 12 of 19 patients. In 4 patients with glioma and lymphoma only diagnostic biopsy was done. Three patients experienced visual deterioration postoperatively. Two patients had temporary diplopia, and one patient had temporary ptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment could be the mainstay of therapy for the majority of symptomatic orbital tumors. Many orbital tumors can be treated safely via a transcranial approach. Frontoorbital approach allows the surgeon to reach both the intraorbital and intracranial structures. Knowledge of the microanatomy of the orbit and meticulous surgical skills are necessary to overcome the pitfalls of intraorbital surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Il Sup
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Byung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Sang Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee