One category of idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) displays a granulomatous inflammatory pattern that mimics sarcoidosis, although this has not been extensively addressed in most published series of IOI. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of patients with biopsy-proven noninfectious granulomatous inflammation of the orbit. Review of surgical pathology records from January 1988 to May 1992 identified 12 patients with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis or other noninfectious granulomatous process involving the orbit. Clinical records were reviewed, and the patients' physicians contacted to determine if the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was confirmed. Five cases in which the systemic diagnosis was not established despite thorough evaluation are reported here. We report five cases of noninfectious IOI in which sarcoidosis was suspected clinically and histologically. In these, however, further systemic evaluation at 15 to 32 months (mean 22.4) failed to reveal evidence of systemic involvement. A spectrum of histopathologic patterns was seen, including non-necrotizing foreign body type granulomas, lipogranulomatous inflammation, and variable sclerosis. Patients with solitary orbital noncaseating granulomatous inflammation should be thoroughly evaluated before a diagnosis of sarcoidosis is made. Practitioners should be aware of the existence of granulomatous IOI not associated with systemic sarcoidosis as a distinct clinicopathologic entity.