Orbital Yolk Sac Tumor in a 2‐Year‐Old Female Child Presenting With Proptosis—A Rare Entity

Abstract

Yolk sac tumors are nonseminomatous malignant germ cell tumors that arise from the ovary and testis. Extragonadal disease is rare, with the head and neck representing only 5% of reported cases. Pure orbital yolk sac tumors are extremely uncommon, with no more than 15 cases documented worldwide. This case report presents a rare case of an aggressive orbital yolk sac tumor, which has not been reported in Africa to the best of the authors′ knowledge. The literature review was performed in PubMed using the terms “orbital yolk sac tumor” and “Africa” from 1995–2025, with the authors including articles published in the English language. No earlier reported cases in Africa were identified. Despite its rarity, this case underscores the importance of considering this tumor in young children presenting with a destructive orbital tumor. It also highlights the advantages of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in distinguishing it from other aggressive orbital malignancies in the pediatric population.