Orbital Subperiosteal Abscess: The Role of Nonsurgical Management Among Adolescents and Adults

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To investigate the role of nonsurgical management in the treatment of orbital cellulitis complicated by subperiosteal abscess (SPA) in adolescent and adult populations.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study to assess the demographic, clinical, and outcome profiles of adolescent and adult patients with orbital SPA treated nonsurgically versus those who received surgical intervention. Primary outcome measures included hospitalization length and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the final evaluation.

Results

The study comprised 76 patients diagnosed with SPA in the setting of orbital cellulitis. Twelve were stratified into the nonsurgical cohort, while 64 represented the surgical group. Sinusitis was the most prevalent risk factor among both populations, and the rate did not differ significantly. SPA was located medially at a significantly higher rate in the nonsurgical cohort compared with the surgical. No patients in the nonsurgical population had a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) on presentation. The proportion of patients who received adjunctive systemic corticosteroid therapy was comparable in both groups. Hospitalization length was significantly higher in the surgery cohort. BCVA in the final evaluation was favourable in both groups. Sinusitis subgroup analysis including eight nonsurgical patients produced overall consistent results.

Conclusions

Findings from the largest study of orbital cellulitis complicated by SPA to date demonstrate a role for nonsurgical management in adolescent and adult patients who present with a medial SPA and/or ophthalmic examination without an RAPD. Among these populations, visual prognosis is favourable whether management includes surgical debridement or not, and surgical intervention may not predict a shorter duration of hospitalization.

KEYWORDS:

• Adult orbital cellulitis
• adult subperiosteal abscess
• orbital cellulitis
• subperiosteal abscess

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

EL was the endowed James L. Hargiss, M.D., Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow and the Rayment Endowed Fellow in Ophthalmology. This study was supported by an unrestricted institutional grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, NY, NY.