Haematic cyst formation after orthognathic surgery

Summary A 34-year-old man suffered from discomfort originating from a mass located in his right zygomatic area. He developed orbital symptoms, such as diplopia, which lasted for 5 months. He also suffered from Crouzon’s syndrome and had undergone a Lefort III osteotomy 9 years prior for correction of midfacial hypoplasia. The size of the mass slowly increased and his orbital symptoms developed further, eventually leading to surgical exploration. During the operation, a mass was found near titanium plates which had been used to fix bone segments during a previous surgery. The total mass, including the capsule, was excised. The pathologic report was a chronic haematic cyst with a non-neoplastic collection of blood or blood products that exerted a mass effect in the orbit and adjacent tissues. The causes of haematic cysts are diverse, with trauma being the most common. Although haematic cysts resulting from trauma have been widely reported, there have been few reports on haematic cysts associated with orthognathic surgeries, such as Lefort III osteotomies. This case demonstrates that haematic cysts may be delayed complications of major bone surgery and that surgeons and patients should be aware of this possibility.