Unilateral orbital schwannoma arising from the supraorbital nerve: Report of a rare case.

Schwannomas are rare tumors in the orbit, typically originating from various nerves and presenting diagnostic challenges. We present a unique case of a unilateral orbital schwannoma arising from the supraorbital nerve. A 55-year-old female presented with a painless, slowly growing mass in the right superior orbit, causing proptosis. Visual acuity remained unimpaired, and clinical examination revealed a well-defined mass in the superior orbit. A provisional diagnosis of an orbital dermoid or cyst was made, leading to excision biopsy. The histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of benign schwannoma. Schwannomas in the orbit, particularly those arising from the supraorbital nerve, are uncommon and often challenging to diagnose. Early surgical intervention is crucial to prevent complications associated with tumor growth. This case underscores the need to consider schwannomas as a differential diagnosis for slow-growing orbital masses in adults and emphasizes the importance of timely management to prevent vision-threatening complications.

Hemostatic abnormalities in patients with closed head injuries and their role in predicting early mortality.

Abnormalities of blood coagulation are frequently found in patients following traumatic brain injury. Exposure to thromboplastin, which is abundant in brain, plays an important role in initiating coagulopathy. Eighty patients of moderate-to-severe head injury were screened for platelet count, prothombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (a-PPTK), fibrinogen degradation product levels (FDP), D-dimer levels, and disseminated intravascular coagulation scores (DIC), calculated within the first 24 hours of injury. Increased consumptive coagulopathy at admission, as reflected by high DIC scores, predicted mortality in both moderate and severe head injury patients with a high degree of accuracy (p < 0.001). Similarly, increased PT, FDP, and D-dimer values correlated with higher mortality in both groups, but platelet counts and a-PPTK values correlated with mortality only in the severe head injury group. From this study we conclude that hemostatic abnormalities are independent predictors of early mortality in moderate-to-severe head injury patients.