1 Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio
A child with unilateral proptosis and erosion of bone of the ethmoid sinus was found to have cystic fibrosis. Reports of four children with cystic fibrosis and progressive unilateral proptosis were found in the literature. In two of these five children the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis was not considered before the onset of the proptosis. Dilated ducts filled with inspissated secretions-findings very suggestive of cystic fibrosis-were found on biopsy of the paraorbital mass in our patient. Progressive unilateral proptosis may be an early sign of cystic fibrosis, and the histopathology of the mass may contribute to establishing the diagnosis of this disease and eliminating the possibility of neoplasm.