AIM: To explore the histopathological classification and incidence of orbital space-occupying lesions in children in order to provide references for the diagnosis of orbital space-occupying lesions in children.

METHODS: A total of 290 paediatric patients with orbital space-occupying lesions diagnosed by pathological examinations at the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from January 1998 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS: In 290 paediatric patients with orbital space-occupying lesions, venous hemangioma was the most common(58 cases,20.0%), the other commons were as follows: hemangio lymphangioma, dermid cyst, neurofibroma, optic nerve glioma, rhabdomyo sarcoma and so on. Capillary hemangioma, venous hemangioma, optic nerve glioma had the predominant age incidence. On the other hand, optic nerve glioma, venous hemangioma, rhabdomyosarcoma had the predominant sex incidence.

CONCLUSION: The majority of paediatric patients with orbital space-occupying lesions are congenital and embryonic lesions, the most common of which is venous hemangioma. Some lesions had the predominant age and sex incidence.