Case of the Month

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A 52-year-old man presents for the evaluation of a bump he noticed under his eyelid approximately 8 weeks ago.

What's Your Diagnosis?

Diagnosis: Benign Subconjunctival prolapse of orbital fat  

This condition is caused when orbital fat herniates into the subconjunctival space from Tendon’s capsule. It can occur spontaneously or after trauma. It appears as a yellow-orange mass near the eyelid. It appears most frequently (as in this patient) in the upper-temporal quadrant of the eye globe. It also occurs more frequently in men, over 50 years of age, who are overweight.

Subconjunctival prolapse of orbital fat is a benign condition but can be removed surgically if symptomatic or for aesthetic reasons.

In this particular case the nodule was not symptomatic but it was causing frequent comments from family and friends, so he was referred to an ocular surgeon for aesthetic reasons.

If you would like to see several videos demonstrating the surgical treatment of benign orbital fat prolapse, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=treatment+of+benigh+fat+prolase+of+the+eye