Objective: Pleomorphic lipomas are rare benign tumors that can resemble a variety of malignant soft tissue tumors on histologic examination. Six cases of patients with orbital pleomorphic lipoma, one of which was proven to be bilateral, are presented.
Design: Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series with clinicopathologic correlation.
Methods: Clinical and histologic review of 6 patients with pleomorphic lipomas of the orbit and histologic review of fat from 22 exenteration specimens and 20 other orbital procedures.
Main outcome measures: Evidence of histologic abnormalities in histologic specimens.
Results: Pleomorphic spindle cells and multinucleated cells with nuclei arranged in a floret-like pattern were present in 7 specimens from 6 patients presenting with a clinical diagnosis of orbital fat prolapse, but there were no similar cell types present in the adipose tissue of 22 exenteration or 20 other orbital specimens.
Conclusion: Pleomorphic lipoma may arise in the orbit, presenting as what was hitherto considered to be age-related epibulbar prolapse of orbital fat.