Orbital cellulitis: Key information for nurses.

ABSTRACT: Cellulitis is a soft tissue infection that presents with erythema, swelling, and pain. When the site of infection is around the eye, it is an ocular emergency. Recognizing orbital cellulitis and understanding its significance can lead to prompt treatment and prevention of untoward patient outcomes.

Management of oculo-orbital complications of odontogenic sinusitis in adults.

Introduction: Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS) is an infectious inflammatory pathology caused by a dental condition. Considering the anatomical relations with the orbit, maxillary sinus infection can easily spread, evolving into severe oculo-orbital complications that can sometimes be life-threatening. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective study of over 2 years, examining the data of 18 patients diagnosed with OMS with oculo-orbital complications. The patients were evaluated regarding their dental history, symptoms, clinical and endoscopic findings, ophthalmologic evaluation, bacteriologic tests, computed tomography (CT) imaging, medical and surgical treatment, and outcomes. Results: The age of the patients was between 24 and 65 years old with an almost equal gender distribution: 10 female and 8 male patients. From the total, 7 patients had type II diabetes, 2 of whom were insulin-dependent, 1 patient had thrombophilia and 2 patients had renal failure with peritoneal dialysis. Regarding the type of oculo-orbital complications, 10 patients were diagnosed with preseptal cellulitis and 8 with orbital cellulitis. Just 5 patients with orbital cellulitis required surgical treatment and orbitotomy was performed, followed by endonasal endoscopic drainage. The evolution after surgical treatment was favorable for all operated patients. Discussions: Oculo-orbital complications of OMS are typically more severe than those of rhinogenic sinusitis because anaerobic bacteria are involved. Immunosuppression represents a favorable environment for the development of OMS and its complications, diabetes being the most common risk factor. A negative prognostic feature is the appearance of ophthalmological symptoms in both eyes, so visual function may be reduced. The treatment of oculo-orbital complications of OMS is urgent and depends on a broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy associated or not with surgical intervention. Conclusions: The diagnosis of oculo-orbital complications of OMS is complex and requires clinical experience as well as extensive medical knowledge to treat both the cause and the consequences of the conditions quickly and effectively. The proper management of oculo-orbital complications is based on a multidisciplinary team: ophthalmology, ENT, dentistry, imaging, and laboratory. Abbreviations: OMS = odontogenic maxillary sinusitis, CT = computed tomography, ENT = ear-nose-throat, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging, HNS = head and neck surgery.

Orbital Abscess Secondary to Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction in an Extremely Preterm Infant.

Orbital abscesses are rarely encountered in children younger than 1 year. The literature is limited to isolated case reports and a few case series. Most such cases are reported in infants born at term, with the earliest reported gestational birth age at 34 weeks. Children are more prone to orbital cellulitis compared with adults due to their underdeveloped sinuses and immature immune systems, and the origin is most commonly an ethmoid sinus infection. Orbital cellulitis secondary to dacryocystitis is even less common, with only a few isolated cases reported in infants and children. Herein, the authors present a case of a large extraconal and intraconal orbital abscess secondary to nasolacrimal duct obstruction and dacryocystitis in an extremely preterm infant. We discuss the diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of this challenging case.

Superior Ophthalmic Vein Thrombosis: A Case Report in a Previously Healthy Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Positive Patient.

BACKGROUND Superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis (SOVT) is a rare condition, with an incidence of 3 to 4 cases per million per year. SOVT can be classified according to the underlying etiology into septic or aseptic SOVT. We present a case of right SOVT in a previously healthy patient with a positive blood culture of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CASE REPORT A previously healthy 38-year-old female patient presented with a 2-week history of worsening right-sided headache associated with photophobia, phonophobia, right-sided ear pain, and tinnitus. The best corrected visual acuity was 6/12 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye. Ophthalmic examination revealed right eye upper lid edema, proptosis, and diplopia in all gazes, mainly vertical. The fundus examination showed a raised hyperemic right optic disc with blurred margins. Laboratory investigations showed a positive blood culture of MRSA and elevated levels of inflammatory markers erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Orbital computed tomography examination showed periorbital and orbital cellulitis with superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis. The patient was treated successfully with antibiotics and anticoagulants. At 1-month follow-up, the patient was compliant with medications and reported full resolution of symptoms, with no visual acuity impairment. CONCLUSIONS SOVT is a challenging ophthalmic condition and can be present concurrent with orbital cellulitis or cavernous sinus thrombosis. Early imaging studies and proper management are important to prevent serious complications. Ophthalmologists need to be alerted of the importance of tailoring antibiotics based on the causative agent, to decrease the risk of therapeutic failure and microbial resistance.

Orbital abscess with white eye in patients treated with oral antibiotics for orbital cellulitis.

PURPOSE: To report a case series of seven patients with late presentation of orbital/subperiosteal abscess following oral treatment of orbital cellulitis. METHODS: A retrospective case series of all patients presented with orbital abscess following oral treatment of orbital cellulitis from two tertiary-care eye centres in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted. Demographic profiles, risk factors, initial clinical presentation, management regimens, and final outcome were analysed. RESULTS: Patients presented mainly with proptosis and limitation of extraocular motility without external ophthalmic inflammatory signs. Most patients needed surgical evacuation despite the appropriate initiation of intravenous antibiotics following presentation to our hospitals. CONCLUSION: Treating orbital cellulitis with oral antibiotics may lead to delayed presentation of orbital abscess without external ophthalmic inflammatory signs.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratios Distinguish Idiopathic Orbital Inflammation From Orbital Infectious Disease.

PURPOSE: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a relatively novel biomarker to distinguish between acute stresses. This study was performed to determine whether the NLR may discern infectious orbital maladies from idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI). METHODS: The NLR was calculated by a review of the initial blood draws of adult patients who presented to the emergency department at a single academic medical center. Statistical comparisons were performed to identify the significance of these results. RESULTS: Ten patients with IOI, 12 patients with necrotizing fasciitis (NF), and 12 patients with orbital cellulitis (OC) presented to the emergency department. The groups were not statistically significantly different in terms of age or gender. The mean NLRs were 3.48 (standard deviation = 1.80), 13.5 (standard deviation = 14.5), and 8.15 (standard deviation = 6.56) for IOI, NF, and OC, respectively. Patients with IOI had statistically significantly lower NLRs than patients with NF ( p = 0.037) and OC ( p = 0.034). However, the NLRs of patients with OC were not statistically significantly different from those of patients with NF ( p = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: The NLR appears to distinguish IOI from infectious etiologies, but does not discern between variants of infection. These results should be juxtaposed against appropriate imaging and clinical evaluations, but elevated NLR values may heighten clinicians' concerns for an infectious process and encourage them to initiate appropriate management steps.

Orbital Fat Density as a Diagnostic Tool in Pre-Septal and Orbital Cellulitis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of measuring orbital fat density in identifying post-septal involvement when initial differential diagnosis between orbital and periorbital cellulitis (OC and POC) is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with clinical diagnosis of OC or POC who underwent contrast-enhanced computerized tomographic scans over a span of 10 years. Intraconal orbital fat density was measured with Hounsfield units (HU) in six areas on axial scans consisting of nasal and temporal intraconal sites. These measurements correlated with the initial and final diagnoses. Main outcome measures were HU values at the initial and final diagnoses. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were included. Mean HU measurement was -52 ± 18 HU for the involved side vs. -63 ± 13 for the uninvolved side (P < .001). The values were higher in cases of a final diagnosis of OC in the involved side (P < .001). The HU values were significantly higher in the nasal vs. the temporal locations of each orbit bilaterally (P < .001). The initial POC diagnosis of 20 patients (35%) was revised to OC. CONCLUSION: Intraconal fat density measurements can assist in the primary assessment of orbital involvement in patients with an uncertain initial diagnosis, with a HU value higher than -50 is suggestive of orbital involvement.

Pediatric orbital subperiosteal abscess outbreak in Iran: characteristics and causes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate demographics, characteristics, and management of pediatric patients with subperiosteal abscesses (SPA) secondary to orbital cellulitis and discuss the etiology of a dramatic rise in SPA. METHODS: Data were gathered by retrospective chart review of patients admitted to a tertiary referral eye hospital (Farabi Eye Hospital) diagnosed with orbital cellulitis with subperiosteal abscess from October 2022 to March 2023 (six months). Data on demographic information, clinical examination, radiographic evidence of sinusitis, orbital cellulitis, SPA, surgical and non-surgical management taken, isolated bacteria, and duration of hospital stay were gathered. RESULTS: 24 patients were admitted during these six months, with a diagnosis of orbital SPA secondary to paranasal sinusitis, confirmed by an orbital Computed Tomography (CT) scan. The age range was 11 months to 16 years. 75% of patients were male. All patients had a history of flu-like illness before developing orbital cellulitis. All patients had concurrent sinusitis, and 18 underwent initial surgical abscess drainage. The ethmoid sinus was the most involved, and most patients had a medially located SPA. Abscess volume ranged from 0.78 to 7.81 cm3 (mean: 3.52 cm3). One patient had concurrent central retinal artery occlusion due to orbital cellulitis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we report a dramatic increase in the incidence of SPA referred to our hospital. Larger abscess volumes and an increased number of cases that needed initial surgical drainage are also of note. An influenza outbreak in the autumn and winter, undiagnosed Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, increased antimicrobial resistance due to excessive off-label use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more virulent bacterial infections are the most probable hypotheses to justify this observation.

Subperiosteal and Orbital Abscesses: A Comparison of Clinical Features, Management, and Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical features, management, and outcomes between orbital cellulitis patients with subperiosteal abscess (SPA) and those with orbital abscess (OA). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center through medical record search to identify patients with orbital cellulitis from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2022. Charts were screened for those with radiographic evidence of SPA or OA. Demographic data and presenting clinical features were compared between the 2 cohorts. Primary outcomes compared included rates of surgical intervention, reoperation, and readmission; and length of hospital stay and final vision. RESULTS: A total of 189 patients, 162 with SPA and 27 with OA, met the criteria. The OA group (mean 46.5 ± 18.6 years) was older than the SPA group (mean 19.1 ± 21.4 years). Comorbid sinusitis was significantly more common in the SPA cohort (95.7% SPA; 70.4% OA; p < 0.001), while OA was more likely to occur with orbital trauma (29.6% vs. 8.0%; p = 0.003), implanted hardware (11.1% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.005), and comorbid diabetes (22.2% vs. 4.3%; p = 0.001). OA patients more often presented with a relative afferent pupillary defect (21.7% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.005), vision worse than 20 of 50 (42.3% vs. 16.2%; p = 0.005), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection (20.8% vs. 5.8%; p = 0.036). OA was associated with a higher reoperation rate (47.8% vs. 21.3%; p = 0.019), readmission rate (18.5% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.047), and limited extraocular motility at follow-up (4.3% vs. 25%; p = 0.013); while mean length of hospital stay and final visual acuity were similar. CONCLUSION: OA may affect an older population with a divergent risk factor profile compared with SPA. OA may cause more severe functional impairment on presentation, warranting more aggressive management to achieve visual outcomes similar to SPA.

Bugs Behind the Bulging Eyeball: Microbiology and Antibiotic Management in Orbital Cellulitis With or Without Subperiosteal Abscess.

The objective of this study is to describe causative pathogens and current antibiotic management among hospitalized children with orbital cellulitis. This retrospective study, performed at a tertiary care children's health system, included patients up to 18 years old who presented with radiographic evidence of orbital cellulitis from 2012 to 2019. Of the 298 patients included in the study, 103 had surgery and an intraoperative culture obtained. A pathogen was recovered in 86 cultures (83.5%). The most common pathogens were Streptococcus anginosus group (26.2%), Streptococcus pyogenes (11.7%), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (10.7%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (9.7%). Only 8/194 (4.1%) blood cultures returned positive. Median duration of intravenous antibiotics was 4 days and median total duration was 17 days. The most common empiric regimen prescribed was ceftriaxone and clindamycin (64.1%). Despite low incidence of methicillin-resistant S aureus, empiric antibiotics often consisted of 2 antibiotics to ensure coverage for this bacterium.

Role of Acute Rhinosinusitis in Periorbital Infections in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Periorbital cellulitis in children are commonly caused by acute rhinosinusitis (ARS). This study investigated the association of ARS and the severity of periorbital cellulitis in children. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study of children with periorbital cellulitis with ARS versus periorbital cellulitis without ARS. SETTING: Patients were seen at West Virginia University Children's Hospitals between August 2011 to August 2022. METHODS: Patients were divided into cases and controls based on presence or absence of ARS. ARS was defined based on clinical symptoms with objective presence of disease on CT scan. Patients' characteristics, treatment, hospital length of stay, and readmission were collected. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 118 pediatric patients with orbital cellulitis. Patients with ARS were younger than patients without ARS (6.3 vs 8.5, p = 0.025), however there were no sex differences between two groups (p = 0.540). The ARS group had higher incidence of postseptal cellulitis (51.5% vs 9.6%, p < 0.001). As compared to patients without ARS, patients with ARS were more likely to be admitted (p < 0.001), have a longer length of stay (median of 3.5 days vs 0.5 days, p < 0.001), require IV antibiotics (95.3% vs 54.9%, p < 0.001), and require surgical intervention (23.1% vs 5.8%, p < 0.001). Readmission rate was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Children presenting with acute periorbital cellulitis who have ARS tend to have more severe infection requiring higher level of care. ARS should be assessed and incorporated into the plan of care of pediatric patients with periorbital infections.

Visual outcomes following orbital decompression for orbital infections.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the visual outcomes and sequelae of endonasal intervention for orbital infections. INTRODUCTION: Orbital infections pose a serious threat to vision in the pediatric population and can result in complications such as blindness, diplopia, intracranial involvement, and death. [1] Orbital decompression by endonasal intervention is a common treatment to address a variety of orbital infections including orbital cellulitis, orbital abscesses, and subperiosteal abscesses. [2] The outcomes of visual sequelae such as loss or limitation of visual acuity, extraocular movements, and increased intraocular pressure following orbital decompression via endonasal intervention have not been sufficiently investigated in the current literature. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at our tertiary care pediatric hospital using data from 69 patients aged 0-18 years who were admitted between 2008 and 2018. Data was extracted from the electronic medical record system. RESULTS: Following endoscopic sinus surgery, symptoms of orbital infection improved throughout the cohort. Improvement in visual acuity is demonstrated by a statistically significant decrease in the average logMAR value in both the right and left eye (P = 0.002 and P = 0.028 respectively). There was also a significant improvement to normal values postoperatively for patients who initially presented with abnormal tonometry, extraocular movement, and the appearance of eyelids and eyelashes. CONCLUSION: There is no decline or loss of vision with otolaryngology surgical intervention for orbital cellulitis in our cohort. This retrospective chart review demonstrates the efficacy of surgical intervention on overall visual outcomes following endonasal intervention for orbital infections such as orbital cellulitis, orbital abscesses, and subperiosteal abscesses.

Painless Orbital Bone Infarction in a Child with Sickle Cell Anemia: A Case of Misdiagnosed Periorbital Cellulitis.

BACKGROUND Sickle cell orbitopathy is a rare complication of sickle cell disease that closely mimics other conditions, such as orbital cellulitis and osteomyelitis. We report a case of painless orbital bone infarction masquerading as periorbital cellulitis in a child with sickle cell anemia. CASE REPORT A 4-year-old Saudi girl with sickle cell disease presented to our hospital with vaso-occlusive crisis characterized by bilateral lower limb pain and painless left orbital swelling. On examination, she had swelling of the left upper eyelid with redness and mild ptosis (margin reflex distance 1 was 2 mm) without proptosis. Magnetic resonance imaging with contrast showed bilateral sub-periosteal heterogeneous collections (2×0.8×2.1 cm in the superolateral wall of the left orbit and 1×0.6 cm in the inferolateral wall of the right orbit), with intermediate-to-high T1 signal intensity and high T2 signal, causing a mass effect on the adjacent superior and lateral rectus muscles. The patient was treated with systemic antibiotics and supportive treatment for vaso-occlusive crisis under the care of the pediatric team and was discharged without complications. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of sickle cell orbitopathy can be challenging, and an accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure appropriate management. Thus, we report the case of a 4-year-old child with painless sickle cell orbitopathy masquerading as pre-septal cellulitis.

Orbital cellulitis with panophthalmitis and scleral necrosis - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Orbital cellulitis is common in young children and is often secondary to coexisting sinus disease. Coexisting orbital cellulitis and panophthalmitis is a rare clinical event and usually occurs secondary to trauma or from an endogenous source. CASE PRESENTATION: A febrile 2-year-old male presented with periorbital inflammation and exudative retinal detachment. Imaging showed acute sinusitis and extensive orbital cellulitis. Because of progressive scleral thinning, the patient underwent enucleation. CONCLUSION: We present a case of concurrent orbital cellulitis, panophthalmitis, and scleral necrosis in an immunocompetent pediatric patient. Timely intervention is important to prevent life threatening complications with the rare occurrence of coexistent orbital cellulitis and panophthalmitis.

Transnasal endoscopic drainage of neonatal orbital abscess.

Neonatal orbital complications are rare and potentially fatal, demanding prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment. A 25-day-old neonate presented with rapidly progressive orbital complications as evidenced by proptosis, chemosis, lid oedema and restricted eye movements, developing within 3 days. There was no significant medical history or risk factors for developing infection. An initial conservative approach with antimicrobial therapy failed to show any resolve. An MRI brain, orbits and paranasal sinuses demonstrated that there were features suggestive of right orbital cellulitis with possibility of abscess formation with right ethmoidal mucoinflammatory disease and mass effect on the optic nerve causing stretching and compression by the surrounding inflammation.The patient was treated successfully with transnasal endoscopic drainage and decompression. Endoscopic access was challenging owing to the restrictive anatomy. Postoperatively, the patient showed improvement, with gradual decrease in proptosis and resolve in eye movements.

Revisiting the orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: The present study revisited three classification systems of orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) (Chandler, Mortimore & Wormald, and Velasco e Cruz & Anselmo-Lima) and observed which of them presented the best clinical applicability. METHODS: Clinical data and CT scan findings of patients with orbital infection were retrospectively collected. To compare the three classification systems, we revised and graded all CT images accordingly, and divided the patients into four groups: Eyelid cellulitis (EC), orbital cellulitis (OC), subperiosteal abscess (SA), and orbital abscess (OA). The groups were compared regarding the presence of sinus opacification, the need for hospitalization and/or surgical treatment, and the presence of further complications/sequelae. RESULTS: 143 patients were included. The median number of sinuses involved in patients in the OC, SA, and OA groups was 2.0. ARS was rarely associated with signs of EC (present in both Chandler's and Mortimore & Wormald's classifications. The hospitalization rate was significantly lower in the EC group compared to the other three groups. Surgery was performed in all cases in the OA group, in 58.1% in the SA group, 19.4% in the OC group, and 12.5% in the EC group (p-value < 0.0001). Complications were present at higher rates in the OA group compared to the other three groups. CONCLUSIONS: ARS was rarely associated with Eyelid Cellulitis. The stratification in the other three groups showed to be clinically relevant. Velasco e Cruz & Anselmo-Lima's classification system proved valid, simple, and effective for categorizing orbital complications of ARS.

Infectious and Inflammatory Processes of the Orbits in Children.

Most primary orbital pathology in children is due to bacterial infection. Radiologists typically encounter these cases to evaluate for clinically suspected postseptal orbital involvement. Contrast-enhanced cross-sectional imaging is important for the detection and early management of orbital infection and associated subperiosteal/orbital abscess, venous thrombosis, and intracranial spread of infection. Benign mass-like inflammatory processes involving the pediatric orbit are rare, have overlapping imaging features, and must be distinguished from orbital malignancies.