Orbital cellulitis in children-medical treatment versus surgical management.

INTRODUCTION: Ophthalmologists differ in their threshold for surgical management in paediatric patients with orbital cellulitis. We studied the management choices and outcome of children admitted with this disorder.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on patients with orbital cellulitis admitted between January 2001 and December 2004 to a tertiary paediatric referral centre in Singapore. The patients were studied for age, associated systemic disease, medical treatment, drainage procedure undertaken, organism isolated and outcome. Statistical methods were applied for comparing medical treatment with surgical treatment with respect to recovery time, recurrence, and time between the presentation of patient and initiation of treatment.

RESULTS: Twenty patients were studied. Average age was 5.5 years. 5/20 (25%) had a preceding history of upper respiratory tract infection. From CT findings, we came to know that 3/20 (15%) were due to isolated ethmoiditis, 5/20 (25%) had obstruction of the osteomeatal complex of the paranasal sinuses, 2/10 (10%) had intracranial abscesses due to frontal sinusitis. 4/20 (20%) had all 4 ipsilateral paranasal sinuses infected. 2/20 (10%) had preseptal cellulitis with posterior extension into the orbit. 2/20 (10%) had orbital cellulitis related to dacryoadenitis and 2/20 (10%) had pansinusitis with orbital soft tissue stranding. 13/20 (65%) had orbital and /or endoscopic drainage. The remainder of the patients had good immediate response to sole medical treatment and did not require surgery. The most commonly isolated organism was Staphylococcus aureus 5/20 (25%). All patients recovered within a mean of 9.6 days with no complications or functional deficit.

CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric orbital cellulitis can be treated conservatively or with surgical drainage. Indications for surgery include pansinusitis, large abscesses with significant mass effect, concurrent intracranial involvement, poor response to initial medical treatment and the presence of an orbital abscess and gas. Sole medical treatment worked well in children with no orbital abscess, small or medial abscesses as they tend to have a single organism infection. This is also of particular significance in young children below the age of one where endoscopic surgery can be technically difficult. Intracranial involvement occurred in association with frontal sinusitis and affected patients had the longest duration of hospitalization.