Exophthalmos from vascular orbital and retro-orbital lesions: Neurosurgical experience of 84 cases, 1951-1976

A series of 84 patients with exophthalmos caused by vascular lesions, or neoplastic lesions with a predominant vascular component, is discussed. All patients, observed in the period before CT scan, were investigated by traditional neuroradio-logical techniques, notably angiographic ones (carotid arteriogram and orbital phlebogram). In several cases, cerebral vascular lesions such as saccular aneurysms and arterio-venous malformations, cerebral angiomas and uncommon arterio-venous shunts, were the cause of the exophthalmos. The case is argued for the continuing importance of both types of angiographic examination, especially cerebral angiography, in the investigation of exophthalmos after 'non-invasive' techniques (CT scan, ultrasonography) have allowed a preliminary screening and established a firmer indication for 'invasive' examinations.