gms | German Medical Science

Decisions in orbital disease management are based on

• medical history
• clinical presentation and
• well selected imaging techniques.

In this framework watchfull waiting, conservative treatment (partly to verify diagnosis in question “ex juvantibus”), incisional and excisional surgical techniques have to be evaluated to optimize patient care.

Most relevant differential diagnosis include pseudoexphthalmus, various types of vascular exophthalmus, expanding orbital lesions which are attempted to be surgically treated and hopefully healed, infiltrative lesions mostly need incisional biopsy, myogenic lesions mainly caused by thyroid associated orbitopathy are treated according to their seriousness from lid-, muscle- and bony orbital decompression surgery.

Treatment strategies are nearly always based on interdisciplinary communication to achieve optimal results.