To investigate ocular complications that occur after orbital preservation surgery for paranasal malignancies and to identify the early clinical features of ophthalmic manifestations in paranasal malignancy patients.

We reviewed the clinical charts of patients following ophthalmic consultation after orbital preservation surgery for paranasal malignancies. We also investigated the early clinical features of ophthalmic manifestations in patients with paranasal malignancies.

In our study, 54 patients had paranasal malignancies. Among them, 41 had undergone orbital preservation surgery, and 19 patients sought an ophthalmology consultation. There were seven patients who presented with eye symptoms caused by paranasal malignancies before the diagnosis. Paranasal malignancies included squamouscell carcinoma (13 cases), adenocarcinoma (3 cases), plasmocytoma (1 case), malignant schwannoma (1 case), and undifferentiated carcinoma (1 case). The locations of the origin of the tumor included the maxillary sinus (16 cases) and the ethmoid sinus (3 cases). The most common eye symptoms after orbital preservation surgery were enophthalmos, lid retraction, tearing, strabismus, inflammation, dry eyes, and cataracts, in order of frequency. Patients who visited the ophthalmic clinic due to paranasal malignancies had eye symptoms such as proptosis, nonspecific ocular pain, strabismus, tearing, eyelid swelling, and relative afferent pupillary defects, in order of frequency.

Ocular complications were more common if the paranasal malignancy had invaded the orbital bone. However, many of the patients with disease invasion of the periosteum had no nasal or ocular symptoms upon presentation. Therefore, these patients should be managed carefully since symptoms may initially be vague and nonspecific.