The orbit is the eye socket, the eyeball, the eye muscles, the optic nerve and the fat in between. Any of these may degenerate into a tumor. Metastatic tumors may also travel to the orbit. Orbital tumors may affect both adults and children. Fortunately, in both age groups most orbital tumors are benign. If you have a progressive prominence of one or both eyes, you may have pain, loss of vision or double vision, redness and swelling of the eyelids and the presence of a palpable mass.

Most often either a CAT scan or MRI will be ordered to more carefully define the condition. Some conditions require no treatment, others the use of radiation therapy or surgical excision. Through the use of CAT scans and MRI and the use of operating microscopes and surgical lasers, surgery is very safe and sophisticated.