Breast carcinoma metastatic to the orbit

Breast carcinoma metastatic to the orbit presented in four patients as a diffuse mass lesion. Clinical findings included restricted ocular motility, palpable mass, enophthalmos, and ptosis. The delay in diagnosis in three cases was due to subtle early findings, the long time interval from the primary breast lesion, lack of other metastases, and, in each of the four cases, the patient's reluctance to disclose any history of breast disease. Pathologic examination of the orbital breast metastases revealed two types: an adenocarcinomatous pattern with nests of pleomorphic malignant appearing cells and a histiocytoid variant with bland, large cells similar to histiocytes.