title: The acute orbit: differentiation of orbital cellulitis from subperiosteal abscess by computerized tomography.
abstract: A series of 65 patients suffering from acute inflammatory disease of the orbit was studied by CT. Ethmoiditis was the cause in the vast majority; trauma and dental extraction played a lesser role in causation. Orbital cellulitis was diagnosed in 17 and subperiosteal abscess in the remaining 48. It was not possible to differentiate 33 pus-containing abscesses from the six with inflammatory masses (phlegmons). The satisfactory response to aggressive medical treatment in those patients with inflammatory masses that were not drained justifies a more conservative approach; surgical drainage being reserved for those with a deterioration in proptosis, ocular movements or vision. Six abscesses arose de novo, of which some were in the orbital fat rather than the subperiosteal space.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Handler
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lauryssen
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed