Clinical Aspects of IgG4-Related Orbital Inflammation in a Case Series of Ocular Adnexal Lymphoproliferative Disorders

The most frequent ocular adnexal tumors and simulating lesions are lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), including malignant lymphomas and orbital inflammation with lymphoid hyperplasia or infiltration. IgG4-related orbital inflammation (IgG4-ROI) often involves lacrimal glands and other orbital tissues and is an important differential diagnosis. The present study evaluated clinical aspects of IgG4-ROI in a case series of orbital LPD. Sixty-two consecutive cases of orbital LPD, pathologically diagnosed from November, 2004, through March, 2011, were investigated. Histological types were 22 cases with MALT lymphoma, 11 cases with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 3 cases with other malignant lymphomas, 16 cases with IgG4-ROI, and 10 cases with non-IgG4-ROI. Ages of the IgG4-ROI group (56 ± 10 yrs) were significantly lower than the MALT lymphoma (71 ± 12 yrs) and DLBCL (75 ± 14 yrs) groups. Orbital lesions other than lacrimal glands were present in six cases including extraocular muscle swelling, mass lesions surrounding the optic nerve, and supraorbital and infraorbital nerves enlargements. Although none of the malignant lymphomas were related to IgG4, previous evidence suggested that malignant lymphomas can arise from IgG4-ROI. Based on this study (26%) and another report (33%), it is likely that nearly a quarter of orbital LPD are IgG4-ROI.