Orbital paraganglioma--a case report and review of the literature.

Paragangliomas are unique neuroendocrine neoplasms arising in specialized neural crest cells and may be adrenal or extra-adrenal. Paragangliomas have been described in various unusual locations, e.g., urinary bladder, prostate, cauda equina, larynx, sellar region, thyroid gland and nasal cavity. Orbital paragangliomas are very rare and peculiar in histogenesis as the orbit is a site in which the existence of normal paraganglia is not well-documented in humans. We hereby report a case of an orbital paraganglioma in a 70-year-old female patient, the oldest patient reported so far.