Endonasal endoscopic approach for removal of intraorbital cavernous hemangioma in childhood.

BACKGROUND Orbital cavernous hemangiomas are the most common primary benign orbital tumors in adults. Although a rudimentary lesion may be present at birth, cavernous hemangiomas do not usually become symptomatic until the third to fifth decade of life and lesions occurring in pediatric age are quite rare. Surgical treatment is indicated in symptomatic cases, and surgical approach is planned according to the localization of the tumor in the orbit. METHODS AND RESULTS We described the first case of pediatric intraorbital extraconal cavernous hemangioma, treated successfully by a pure endoscopic endonasal approach, and demonstrated the minimal invasiveness of this approach, without skin incision and neurovascular retraction. Review of the literature, surgical technique, pitfalls, and differences from previous reports are discussed. CONCLUSION Endoscopic transnasal approaches can now be considered as an alternative option to traditional external approaches in the management of medial and inferior orbital lesions in childhood.