Cavernous venous malformation of the lacrimal gland

Background: Cavernous venous malformation (CVM) is a common benign vascular lesion of the orbit. It was previously known as “orbital cavernous hemangioma”. Localization within the lacrimal gland is extremely rare. Case presentation: We describe the case of a 76-year-old man with an asymptomatic CVM of the left lacrimal gland incidentally discovered on a routine MRI. A curative and diagnostic en bloc surgical resection was performed, allowing for histological diagnosis. Conclusions: CVM of the lacrimal gland is extremely rare and usually asymptomatic. Proptosis is the main symptom. On MRI, the lesion appears hypointense with heterogeneous enhancement after Gadolinium injection on T1-weighted imaging and hyperintense on T2 STIR-weighted imaging. Histological examination is mandatory for the diagnosis. Surgical resection is usually performed.