Orbital infection is a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection of tissues around the eyes. It can lead to a dramatic outcome and fast management of this infection is critical for the preservation of eyesight and prevention of possible meningitis. Orbital Infection: Read more about Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications, Causes and Prognosis. Up to 98 percent of all cases of orbital cellulitis start out as untreated bacterial sinus infections, which spread behind the orbital septum. The orbital septum is a thin, fibrous membrane that.
Article:.Images:.EpidemiologyOrbital infections represent more than half of primary orbital disease processes 2. These infections typically present in children and young adults but can affect any age group. Clinical presentation. painful ophthalmoplegia. chemosis. reduced visual acuityPathology EtiologyPeriorbital cellulitis often results from contiguous spread of an infection of the face, teeth, or ocular adnexa.
Orbital cellulitis typically occurs as an extension of paranasal 1. Endophthalmitis is most commonly secondary to ocular surgery or penetrating injury. Radiographic featuresUrgent imaging is indicated to assess the anatomic extent of disease, including postseptal, and intracranial involvement; evaluate for sources of contiguous spread, e.g. Sinusitis or trauma; and identify orbital abscesses that require exploration and drainage 3. CT is the imaging investigation of choice as it is:. readily available at all hours and quick.
ideal for assessing for underlying sinus disease. will identify a subperiosteal reaction or intracranial extensionCT Periorbital cellulitisDiffuse soft-tissue thickening and areas of enhancement anterior to the orbital septum are seen in periorbital cellulitis. It is very difficult to differentiate between preseptal edema and periorbital cellulitis on CT 4. Orbital cellulitis. poor definition of orbital planes.
inflammatory stranding in the intraconal fat.or soft tissue mass. edema of the. intraorbital abscess.EndophthalmitisFindings are often non-specific, though choroidal enhancement may be seen in the early phases. MRIRarely performed, as not usually necessary. Like CT, it will identify a subperiosteal abscess as:. T1: low signal.
T2: high signal. DWI/ADC: diffusion restriction. T1 + C: rim enhancementMRI may occasionally have a role in diagnosing since the presentation can often be non-specific. Key findings include:. T2 FLAIR: high signal. DWI/ADC: diffusion restriction in the affected globeTreatment and prognosisPeriorbital cellulitis is treated with oral antibiotics.
Orbital cellulitis is treated with intravenous antibiotics. However, if a subperiosteal abscess is present, surgical drainage may be necessary 1. ComplicationsComplications of orbital cellulitis include 1:. loss of vision.Differential diagnoses.See also.
The orbital septum is a thin sheet of fibrous tissue that originates from the orbital rim periosteum and blends with the tendon of the superiorly and inserts into the tarsal plate inferiorly.The orbital septum separates the intra-orbital fat from eyelid fat and, and also provides a barrier against spread of infection between the preseptal space to postseptal space (orbit proper) 1. Radiographic appearance CTThe orbital septum difficult to identify but appears in the region that contains the separation of the orbital fat from the subcutaneous (eyelid) fat and the orbicularis oculi muscle and together with the eye lids and cornjunctiva forms an anterior soft tissue density 2. MRIHigh-resolution T1WI is a superior imaging technique to depict orbital septum and hence determine boundaries between preseptal and postseptal spaces which have important implication in treatment of periorbital infections or anatomic staging of tumors.