Granular cell tumor presenting as an intraocular mass: a case report

BACKGROUND: Granular cell tumor (GCT) can arise in any location in the body and present as a solitary, slow-growing, painless mass. However, GCT rarely affects the orbit. We report a Chinese girl who presented with an intraocular mass, and in whom a biopsy led to a diagnosis of GCT. CASE PRESENTATION: A 5-year-old Chinese girl exhibited exotropia in her right eye for 2 years and had been losing her vision for 6 months. The visual acuity in the right eye revealed no light perception. A fundus examination showed a large, yellowish-white, elevated, subretinal mass lesion in front of and inferior to the disc, with hemi-inferior-quadrant retinal detachment. The retina was greyish-yellow with scattered yellow spots. A vitrectomy with neoplasm resection was performed. A histopathologic examination revealed a GCT. The tumor cells were positive for CD68, NSE, S-100, and CD163 expression but negative for GFAP, Syn, and CD123 expression. The Ki-67 index was 1%. The right eye remained stable with visual acuity of no light perception at a 2-years follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intraocular GCT can present as a yellow-white solid mass with no calcification. Although intraocular GCT is very rare, it can lead to devastating visual loss. Intraocular GCT should be kept in mind and considered in clinical practice.