title: Proliferation and arrest: the genetics of orbital disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oculoplastic genetic diseases can be divided into eyelid, lacrimal, and orbital disorders. The purpose of this review is to develop a rational approach to the categorization of genetic diseases that affect the orbit and review the most recent developments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genetic disorders that affect the orbit can simply be divided into whether they cause proliferation or arrest of orbital structures. Proliferative conditions include vascular, neural, bony, mesenchymal, and lymphoid. Conditions that cause arrest can be subcategorized into whether they cause soft tissue or bony arrest of development. The genetics of many of these conditions have been elucidated and novel treatments, based on the molecular defects, have been utilized with some success.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Molecular advances may result in substitution of a molecular categorization scheme for the one proposed in this manuscript. Delineation of the underlying molecular causes of these disorders will result in earlier, less invasive procedures than those that are currently employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Department of Otolaryngology - Head, Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005143:Eyelids; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery