Juvenile Xanthogranuloma Involving the Eye and Ocular Adnexa: Tumor Control, Visual Outcomes, and Globe Salvage in 30 Patients.

PURPOSE: To report clinical features and treatment outcomes of ocular juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG).

DESIGN: Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS: There were 32 tumors in 31 eyes of 30 patients with ocular JXG.

METHODS: Review of medical records.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tumor control, intraocular pressure (IOP), and visual acuity.

RESULTS: The mean patient age at presentation was 51 months (median, 15 months; range, 1-443 months). Eye redness (12/30, 40%) and hyphema (4/30, 13%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Cutaneous JXG was concurrently present in 3 patients (3/30, 10%), and spinal JXG was present in 1 patient (1/30, 3%). The ocular tissue affected by JXG included the iris (21/31, 68%), conjunctiva (6/31, 19%), eyelid (2/31, 6%), choroid (2/31, 6%), and orbit (1/31, 3%). Those with iris JXG presented at a median age of 13 months compared with 30 months for those with conjunctival JXG. In the iris JXG group, mean IOP was 19 mmHg (median, 18 mmHg; range, 11-30 mmHg) and hyphema was noted in 8 eyes (8/21, 38%). The iris tumor was nodular (16/21, 76%) or diffuse (5/21, 24%). Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was used in 10 cases and confirmed JXG cytologically in all cases. The iris lesion was treated with topical (18/21, 86%) and/or periocular (4/21, 19%) corticosteroids. The eyelid, conjunctiva, and orbital JXG were treated with excisional biopsy in 5 patients (5/9, 56%), topical corticosteroids in 2 patients (2/9, 22%), and observation in 2 patients (2/9, 22%). Of 28 patients with a mean follow-up of 15 months (median, 6 months; range, 1-68 months), tumor regression was achieved in all cases, without recurrence. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Upon follow-up of the iris JXG group, visual acuity was stable or improved (18/19 patients, 95%) and IOP was controlled long-term without medication (14/21 patients, 74%). No eyes were managed with enucleation.

CONCLUSIONS: Ocular JXG preferentially affects the iris and is often isolated without cutaneous involvement. Iris JXG responds to topical or periocular corticosteroids, often with stabilization or improvement of vision and IOP.