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ARTICLE |
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Year : 1968 | Volume
: 16
| Issue : 2 | Page : 89-90 |
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Acute bilateral proptosis in acute lymphatic leukaemia
DK Sen, Hari Mohan, DK Gupta
Department of Ophthalmology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associate Irwin & G. B. Pant Hospitals, New Delhi-1, India
Date of Web Publication | 22-Dec-2007 |
Correspondence Address: D K Sen Department of Ophthalmology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associate Irwin & G. B. Pant Hospitals, New Delhi-1 India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
How to cite this article: Sen D K, Mohan H, Gupta D K. Acute bilateral proptosis in acute lymphatic leukaemia. Indian J Ophthalmol 1968;16:89-90 |
Bilateral proptosis in acute lymphatic leukaemia may be due to involvement of the orbit by tumour cells and this was observed in 2% of cases by REESE AND GUY 5 . Here the onset of protrusion of the eye is gradual. Acute proptosis, however, is due to spontaneous haemorrhage in the orbit.
DUKE-ELDER 3 (1952) divided the etiology of heemorrhages within the orbit in three main classes: those due primarily to disease, those due to congestion and those due to direct trauma. The etiological groups of spontaneous hemorrhages are: haemorrhagic diathesis like haemophilia, scurvy, leukaemia etc., arterial disease, vasomotor instability and toxic as is seen in typhoid fever. Of the leukaemias extraocular hemorrhages are common in the lymphatic group and they often outnumber the retinal hemorrhages, but massive intraorbital bleeding causing sudden proptosis is rare (TREVOR-ROPER 6 . Bilaterality makes the case all the more interesting.
Case report | | |
S. R. 21 years, Hindu, male, was admitted in Irwin Hospital with the complaints of fever for about a week, severe pain in the abdomen and chest with difficulty in breathing and protrusion of both the eyes for 3 days. Right eye was the first to be affected.
Onset of protrusion of the eyes was sudden and was associated with acute irradiating pain in the orbit. There was no history of epistaxis, haematuria or haemoptysis.
General Examination
The boy was dyspnoeic, markedly pale and ill. Pulse 90/minute, regular and fair in volume. Lips and nail beds were cyanotic. Gums were discoloured but not spongy. Faucial examination revealed submucosal hemorrhages. Lymph glands were enlarged in the neck, axilla and groin. Numerous petechial haemorrhages and larger ecchymoses were seen in the skin of the abdomen. Spleen and liver were palpable but not tender. B. P. 120/70 mm. of Hg.
Local Examination
The picture was more or less symmetrical on both the sides.
The proptosis was moderate, axial and irriducible. Lids were discoloured, tense and swollen. Globes were completely immobile. Chemosis was very marked with lots of haemorrhages in the sub-conjunctival tissue. Corneae were exposed. Pupils were semidilated and sluggishly reacting to light [Figure - 1].
Ophthalmoscopic examination showed marked papilloedema on both sides. Hoemorrhages were widespread on both the sides but more in the peripapillary region. They were superficial and associated with oedema No exudates were seen. Retinal vessels were distended and tortuous.
Investigations
Haemoglobin was 45%; Red cells, 3 million per c mm. There was anisocytosis with a few megaloblasts. Platelets were reduced in number, the count being 80,000 per c mm. White cells numbered 16,200 per c mm. Majority of them were non-granular and embryonic. Lymphocytes (small and large, some with "smeared" nuclei) and lymphoblasts were 96 per cent; and polymorphonuclears 4 per cent. Bleeding time was prolonged (20 minutes). Clotting time - 12 minutes. Prothrombin time - 46 seconds.
On sternal puncture, bone marrow was found to be very cellular. 94% of the cells were primitive white cells of the lymphatic series.
Having thus established the diagnosis treatment was started very energetically with intravenous Efcorlin and cortisone orally (Prednisolone, 40 mg. daily) supported by oxygen inhalation, blood transfusion and broad spectrum antibiotics; but the treatment proved disappointing. Patient's condition deteriorated quickly and death occurred on the following day.
Comments | | |
Acute leukemia has been a common cause of death amongst children. Of late the incidence of leukemia is found to be increasing (Trevor-Roper, 1967). BERNARD, BOIRON, WEIL; LEVY, SELIGMANN AND NAJIAN 7 (1962) reported that they had seen at their institute a total of 497 cases of acute leukemias between 1956 - 1962. Some of these cases may report to the ophthalmologists direct for advice. GOLDBACH 4 listed 33 different ocular anomalies among 242 leukaemias at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Majority of those anomalies are seen in the funds. Spontaneous extra ocular hemorrhages though fairly common in any leukemia are more marked and more frequent in the lymphatic group, especially in the acute variety. Even in these cases massive intraorbital bleeding giving rise to proptosis on both the sides is very rare.
It is important to note that onset of protrusion of eye was not associated with vomiting, though DUKEELDER (1952) considered vomiting as an important diagnostic symptom in acute cases of orbital hemorrhage due to trigeminovagus stimulation exciting an oculo-gastric reflex. Dilatation and sluggishness of the pupil are explained by the great pressure generated in the orbit due to the hemorrhage. Papilloedema due to local retinal affection in leukemia is known. What is difficult to say is whether any hemorrhage in the optic nerve sheath aggravated this condition.
It should be noted that proptosis may be a presenting feature of acute leukemia in children. With a view to diagnosing such cases correctly and in time CROMBIE 2 suggested that in all cases of orbital proptosis, even if the peripheral blood count and film are not greatly abnormal, a bone-marrow biopsy should be performed and supra-vital staining techniques carried out so that early leukemia in the aleukemic phase be diagnosed.
[Figure - 1]
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