[Unilateral exophthalmos caused by organized hematoma of the orbit--report of a case (author's transl)].

The authors reported a case with unilateral proptosis of over ten years' duration due to organized hematoma of the orbit. It has generally been accepted that any given hemorrhage within the orbit can be resolved in a relatively short period of time. Persistent intraorbital hematoma, therefore, in the form of organized hematoma is very unusual in incidence and has been reported very few in the literature. Our patient presented himself with a ten-and-several-year history of unilateral exophthalmos, limited ocular movement and decreased visual acuity on the involved side. There was no specific symptom when compared with the other intraorbital tumors. Total resection of the tumor was performed through transcranial frontozygomatic approach. Histopathologic examination revealed evidence of organized hematoma without definite sources of bleeding such as microangioma, microaneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. Retrospective review of history failed to uncover episodes of hemorrhagic tendency or direct trauma to the head or the orbit. Subsequently a diagnosis of spontaneous organized hematoma was made. Great emphasis was laid on the fact that CT-scan was one of the most useful diagnostic tools. Our surgical approach was introduced and discussed.