Intraorbital posttraumatic respiratory epithelial cyst: A case report and literature review

Background: Respiratory cysts can be either congenital or acquired. Acquired cysts are thought to arise from the displacement of respiratory epithelium into adjacent tissues due to the disruption of normal anatomical barriers, possibly stemming from trauma. Case Description: A 14-year-old girl presented with a history of right orbital trauma, developed swelling in the right periorbital region 4 years after the injury. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a cystic lesion in the lateral side of the intra-orbital space, showing communication with the frontal sinus and bony destructive erosion. The lesion was completely excised, revealing bony erosion of the orbital wall and gelatinous fluid with hematoma inside the cyst. Pathological examination revealed multiple laminar ciliated epithelium with goblet cells, suggesting a respiratory epithelial cyst. Conclusion: We present the clinical characteristics of a rare case of posttraumatic epithelial cyst with a review of the literature.