Abstracts
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate orbital complications in children and adult with sinusitis.
METHOD:
Patients attending ENT clinic with sinusitis from January 2010 until January 2012 were included. Patients were classified into two groups according to their age. First involved children aged less than 16 and second included adults older than 16 years. Clinical picture, sinus involved, management and outcome were compared.
RESULTS:
The total number of patients were 616. Orbital complications were seen in 36 patients (5.8%). Twenty six patients (72.2%) were children (21 had preseptal and 5 had orbital cellulitis) and ten patients (27.8%) were adults (5 with preseptal, three with orbital cellulitis and 2 with abscess). The most common orbital complication was preseptal cellulitis (72.2%) followed by orbital cellulitis and abscess (22.2% and 5.6% respectively). The commonest sinus involved was ethmoidal in children and mixed sinus pathology in adults. The majority of patients responded to medical treatment.
CONCLUSION:
Orbital complications of sinusitis are commoner in children than adults and have favorable prognosis. Keywords: Sinusitis, cellulitis, preseptal, abscess.
abscess; orbital cellulitis; sinusitis
OBJETIVO:
Investigar as complicações orbitais em crianças e adultos com sinusite.
MÉTODO:
Os pacientes que frequentam clínica de Otorrinolaringologia com sinusite de janeiro de 2010 até janeiro de 2012 foram incluídos. Os pacientes foram classificados em dois grupos, de acordo com sua idade. O primeiro incluiu crianças idade inferior a 16 anos e, o segundo, pacientes com mais de 16 anos. Quadro clínico, seio envolvido, gestão e resultados foram comparados.
RESULTADOS:
O número total de pacientes foi 616. Complicações orbitais foram observadas em 36 pacientes (5,8%). Destes, 26 pacientes (72,2%) eram crianças (21 tinham presseptal e cinco tiveram celulite orbitária) e dez pacientes (27,8%) eram adultos (cinco com pré-septal, três com celulite orbitária e dois com abscesso). A complicação mais comum foi celulite orbital presseptal (72,2%), seguida de celulite e abcesso orbital (22,2% e 5,6%, respectivamente). O seio mais comum envolvido foi etmoidal em crianças e sinusopatia mista em adultos. A maioria dos pacientes respondeu ao tratamento médico.
CONCLUSÃO:
As complicações orbitárias da sinusite são mais comuns em crianças do que em adultos e têm prognóstico favorável.
abscesso; celulite orbitária; sinusite
INTRODUCTION
Sinusitis is usually associated with concurrent rhinitis, rhinosinusitis is the
preferred term for this condition11. Brook I. Acute sinusitis in children. Pediatr Clin North Am.
2013;60(2):409-24. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12.002
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12....
,22. Mekhitarian Neto L, Pignatari S, Mitsuda S, Fava AS, Stamm A. Acute
sinusitis in children: a retrospective study of orbital complications. Braz J
Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(1):75-9. PMID: 17505603. It is often
diagnosed clinically. Imaging may be needed when complications related to local
spread of disease are suspected such as abscess formation or when patient fails to
respond to medical treatment33. Sobol SE, Marchand J, Tewfik TL, Manoukian JJ, Schloss MD. Orbital
complications of sinusitis in children. J Otolaryngol. 2002;31(3):131-6. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.10979
http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.1097...
.
Acute rhinosinusitis occurs commonly in children and adults being more common in
children44. Eviatar E, Gavriel H, Pitaro K, Vaiman M, Goldman M, Kessler A.
Conservative treatment in rhinosinusitis orbital complications in children aged 2
years and younger. Rhinology. 2008;46(4):334-7.. The prognosis is favorable
without complications in the majority of cases55. Sultész M, Csákányi Z, Majoros T, Farkas Z, Katona G. Acute bacterial
rhinosinusitis and its complications in our pediatric otolaryngological department
between 1997 and 2006. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009;73(11):1507-12. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009.04.027
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009...
. Orbital complications are reported in 5% to 7% of patients11. Brook I. Acute sinusitis in children. Pediatr Clin North Am.
2013;60(2):409-24. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12.002
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12....
,22. Mekhitarian Neto L, Pignatari S, Mitsuda S, Fava AS, Stamm A. Acute
sinusitis in children: a retrospective study of orbital complications. Braz J
Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(1):75-9. PMID: 17505603,66. Harrison HC. Orbital cellulitis with abscess formation caused by
sinusitis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1989;98(4 Pt 1):322.. Orbital involvement
is reported to occur more in children than in adults77. Moloney JR, Badham NJ, McRae A. The acute orbit. Preseptal
(periorbital) cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess and orbital cellulitis due to
sinusitis. J Laryngol Otol Suppl. 1987;12:1-18.. Ethmoidal sinus is the most commonly reported sinus to be involved in
children. This is attributed to close relation between orbit and ethmoidal sinus in
children with thin line separating between them88. Weizman Z, Mussaffi H. Ethmoiditis-associated periorbital cellulitis.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1986;11(2):147-51. PMID: 3744696 DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-5876(86)80009-X
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-5876(86)...
,99. Lusk R, Tychsen L, Park TS. Complications of sinusitis. In: Lusk R,
ed. Pediatric Sinusitis. New York: Raven Press; 1992. p.127-46.. In adults, the
development of frontal sinus makes it a frequent cause of orbital involvement along
with maxillary sinus1010. Chandler JR, Langenbrunner DJ, Stevens ER. The pathogenesis of
orbital complications in acute sinusitis. Laryngoscope. 1970;80(9):1414-28. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1288/00005537-197009000-00007
http://dx.doi.org/10.1288/00005537-19700...
. Sphenoid sinus
involvement is rare and may lead to optic nerve involvement1111. Sow AJ, Jahendran J, Toh CJ, Kew TY. Sphenoethmoid sinusitis in a
child resulting in a disastrous intracranial sequela. Ear Nose Throat J.
2012;91(11):E20-2.. There is controversy in literature regarding prognosis of
orbital complications secondary to acute rhinosinusitis among children and adults and
its response to treatment55. Sultész M, Csákányi Z, Majoros T, Farkas Z, Katona G. Acute bacterial
rhinosinusitis and its complications in our pediatric otolaryngological department
between 1997 and 2006. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009;73(11):1507-12. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009.04.027
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009...
,66. Harrison HC. Orbital cellulitis with abscess formation caused by
sinusitis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1989;98(4 Pt 1):322.,1212. Lavania A, Sharma V, Reddy NS, Baksh R. Orbital cellulitis--a
complication of sinusitis. Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ).
2005;3(3):292-3.. Some studies showed that there is no difference regarding prognosis
between children and adults while other showed that the prognosis is worse in
adults.
We could not find a study in our area investigating the prognosis of orbital cellulitis among children and adults with acute rhinosinusitis. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of orbital complications in children and adult patients with sinusitis. Presentation, management and outcome were evaluated.
METHOD
Patients attending ENT clinic diagnosed to have sinusitis during the period between January 2010 and January 2012 were enrolled in the study. Patients were selected from those who visited the ENT directly without referral from emergency room or other clinic. Only cases of acute sinusitis secondary to infection were included. The diagnosis was clinical in majority of cases. Acute rhinosinusitis was considered when patient complained of at least four weeks of purulent nasal drainage and obstruction associated with facial pain, pressure or fullness. CT scan was done when abscess was suspected or when patient failed to respond to medical treatment. Patients with orbital complications were referred to ophthalmology clinic. Ocular examination included best corrected visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment examination and extraocular motility examination.
Patients were classified into two groups according to their age. First group involved children aged less than 16 years and second group included adults older than 16 years. We chose the age of 16 years to separate between the two groups because patients younger than 16 years in our hospital are evaluated in pediatric clinics and those older than 16 are evaluated in adult clinics. Clinical picture, sinus involved, management and outcome were compared in two groups. Treatment protocol included topical and oral antibiotics for patients with periorbital cellulitis, broad spectrum intravenous antibiotics for patients with orbital cellulitis and abscess. Medications for pain relief and nasal decongestants were used in all patients.
Surgical drainage of abscess was considered when it failed to respond to medical treatment or if located posterior to the globe. P-value was used to determine statistical significance between the frequency of orbital complication in children and adults and considered significant when less than 0.05 was. An approval of the ethical committee was obtained before starting the study (number of protocol 272013).
RESULTS
A total number of 616 patients were enrolled in the study. Orbital complications were seen in 36 patients (5.8%). Twenty six patients were children (72.2%) and ten patients (27.8%) were adults. The most common orbital complication was preseptal cellulitis seen in 72.2% of patients followed by orbital cellulitis and abscess in 22.2% and 5.6% respectively. In children, 21 out of 26 patients (80.8%) had preseptal cellulitis and 5 patients (19.2%) had orbital cellulitis. In adults, 50% of patients had preseptal cellulitis, 30% had orbital cellulitis and 20% had abscess. The frequency of orbital cellulitis and abscess in adults (30 % and 20% percent) were more statistically significant than in children (19.2% and zero), p value < 0.05 (Table 1).
The most common sinus involved was ethmoidal sinus in children and mixed sinus pathology in adults. In children, sinuses involved were ethmoidal followed by mixed sinus pathology. Maxillary sinus was affected in four patients. In adults mixed sinus pathology was the most common (four patients). Frontal and maxillary sinuses were affected in three patients each. We did encounter any case of sphenoid sinus involvement in children and adults. The majority of patients responded to medical treatment. Ten patients were admitted and surgery was done for one patient (Table 2).
DISCUSSION
Acute infection the paranasal sinus is a rather frequent disease in children. On the contrary, the incidence of orbital complications secondary to sinusitis is low22. Mekhitarian Neto L, Pignatari S, Mitsuda S, Fava AS, Stamm A. Acute sinusitis in children: a retrospective study of orbital complications. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(1):75-9. PMID: 17505603. Orbital as well as intracranial complications of ethmoidal and maxillary sinusitis are most often encountered in childhood1313. Magnano M, Ferrero V, Morra B, Bussi M. Orbital and endocranial complications in acute sinusitis in childhood. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 1992;12(6):565-73.. The majority of cases in childhood respond to medical treatment. On the other hand, severe morbidity and mortality occur if these complications are not appropriately treated. Such morbidity and mortality tend to occur in adults44. Eviatar E, Gavriel H, Pitaro K, Vaiman M, Goldman M, Kessler A. Conservative treatment in rhinosinusitis orbital complications in children aged 2 years and younger. Rhinology. 2008;46(4):334-7..
Sinusitis is a clinical diagnosis in most cases. Radiology is rarely needed. It may
be indicated in cases of ophthalmoplegia, proptosis, decreased visual acuity, failure
of conservative treatment and when intraorbital and intracranial extensions are
suspected44. Eviatar E, Gavriel H, Pitaro K, Vaiman M, Goldman M, Kessler A.
Conservative treatment in rhinosinusitis orbital complications in children aged 2
years and younger. Rhinology. 2008;46(4):334-7.,1414. McAlister WH, Lusk R, Muntz HR. Comparison of plain radiographs and
coronal CT scans in infants and children with recurrent sinusitis. AJR Am J
Roentgenol. 1989;153(6):1259-64.,1515. Reid JR. Complications of pediatric paranasal sinusitis. Pediatr
Radiol. 2004;34(12):933-42. PMID: 15278322 DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-1252-2
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-125...
. The
investigation of choice is CT scan or MRI with the later being superior if cavernous
sinus thrombosis is suspected.
Orbital complications include preseptal cellulitis, orbital cellulitis and abscess
development. Preseptal cellulitis can be diagnosed clinically. It is an infection of
the eyelid and surrounding skin anterior to the orbital septum that does not
penetrate the periorbita. Orbital cellulitis occurs when infection spreads posterior
to the orbital septum and can lead to abscess if not adequately treated. Radiological
examination is required when orbital abscess is suspected1616. Pereira FJ, Velasco e Cruz AA, Anselmo-Lima WT, Elias Júnior J.
Computed tomographic patterns of orbital cellulitis due to sinusitis. Arq Bras
Oftalmol. 2006;69(4):513-8. PMID: 17119723 DOI: http://
dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-27492006000400011
http://
dx.doi.org/...
. Signs that indicate abscess formation include decrease in
visual acuity, proptosis, ophthalmoplegia and pain associated with eye movement.
Sometimes, it may be difficult to distinguish between preseptal and orbital
involvement based on clinical observations alone especially with bilateral
involvement. Such patients should be scanned and treated aggressively33. Sobol SE, Marchand J, Tewfik TL, Manoukian JJ, Schloss MD. Orbital
complications of sinusitis in children. J Otolaryngol. 2002;31(3):131-6. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.10979
http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.1097...
,1717. Howe L, Jones NS. Guidelines for the management of periorbital
cellulitis/abscess. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 2004;29(6):725-8. PMID: 15533168
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.2004.00889.x
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.20...
,1818. Mitchell R, Kelly J, Wagner J. Bilateral orbital complications of
pediatric rhinosinusitis. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002;128(8):971-4. PMID:
12162781 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.128.8.971
http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.128.8...
.
In our study, the prevalence of orbital cellulitis was low (5.8%). The majority of the cases were children (72.2%). Most of the cases in children were preseptal cellulitis (21 out of 26 patients). Five patients (19.2% of children) had orbital cellulitis and no patient showed abscess. A total number of 10 patients were adults. Half of them had preseptal cellulitis, three patients (30%) had orbital cellulitis and two patients (20%) had abscess. These findings support that sinusitis related complications tend to occur in children but severe involvement are commoner in adults44. Eviatar E, Gavriel H, Pitaro K, Vaiman M, Goldman M, Kessler A. Conservative treatment in rhinosinusitis orbital complications in children aged 2 years and younger. Rhinology. 2008;46(4):334-7.,77. Moloney JR, Badham NJ, McRae A. The acute orbit. Preseptal (periorbital) cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess and orbital cellulitis due to sinusitis. J Laryngol Otol Suppl. 1987;12:1-18.,1313. Magnano M, Ferrero V, Morra B, Bussi M. Orbital and endocranial complications in acute sinusitis in childhood. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 1992;12(6):565-73.. Table 1 showed that orbital cellulitis and abscess formation were more statistically significant in adults compared to children (p< 0.05).
The distinction between preseptal, orbital cellulitis and abscess is important as it affects management strategy. Preseptal cellulitis can be treated on outpatient basis with oral and topical antibiotics. Orbital cellulitis requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics and orbital abscess may require surgical drainage. The aim of surgery is to decompress the orbit, drain an abscess or open infected sinuses. Delay in treatment may result in vision threatening complications1919. Filips RF, Liudahl JJ. Asymptomatic posterior orbital cellulitis resulting from ethmoid/maxillary sinusitis. J Am Optom Assoc. 1997;68(1):55-60. PMID: 9037991. The severe morbidity and mortality may result from intracranial complications including meningitis, cavernous sinus thrombosis and cerebral abscess. In our series, all patients showed complete recovery with treatment. All patients with preseptal cellulitis responded to local and oral treatment and none of them were hospitalized. Admission and intravenous antibiotics were required in 10 patients (those who had orbital cellulitis or abscess). Surgery was done only for one patient who needed drainage of sub periosteal abscess.
CONCLUSION
Orbital complications are not frequent in patients with sinusitis. They are more common in children than adults. The prognosis is favorable; however, they can lead to devastating complications if not properly treated.
REFERÊNCIAS
-
1Brook I. Acute sinusitis in children. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60(2):409-24. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12.002
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.12.002 -
2Mekhitarian Neto L, Pignatari S, Mitsuda S, Fava AS, Stamm A. Acute sinusitis in children: a retrospective study of orbital complications. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(1):75-9. PMID: 17505603
-
3Sobol SE, Marchand J, Tewfik TL, Manoukian JJ, Schloss MD. Orbital complications of sinusitis in children. J Otolaryngol. 2002;31(3):131-6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.10979
» http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7070.2002.10979 -
4Eviatar E, Gavriel H, Pitaro K, Vaiman M, Goldman M, Kessler A. Conservative treatment in rhinosinusitis orbital complications in children aged 2 years and younger. Rhinology. 2008;46(4):334-7.
-
5Sultész M, Csákányi Z, Majoros T, Farkas Z, Katona G. Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis and its complications in our pediatric otolaryngological department between 1997 and 2006. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009;73(11):1507-12. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009.04.027
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ijporl.2009.04.027 -
6Harrison HC. Orbital cellulitis with abscess formation caused by sinusitis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1989;98(4 Pt 1):322.
-
7Moloney JR, Badham NJ, McRae A. The acute orbit. Preseptal (periorbital) cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess and orbital cellulitis due to sinusitis. J Laryngol Otol Suppl. 1987;12:1-18.
-
8Weizman Z, Mussaffi H. Ethmoiditis-associated periorbital cellulitis. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1986;11(2):147-51. PMID: 3744696 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-5876(86)80009-X
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-5876(86)80009-X -
9Lusk R, Tychsen L, Park TS. Complications of sinusitis. In: Lusk R, ed. Pediatric Sinusitis. New York: Raven Press; 1992. p.127-46.
-
10Chandler JR, Langenbrunner DJ, Stevens ER. The pathogenesis of orbital complications in acute sinusitis. Laryngoscope. 1970;80(9):1414-28. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1288/00005537-197009000-00007
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1288/00005537-197009000-00007 -
11Sow AJ, Jahendran J, Toh CJ, Kew TY. Sphenoethmoid sinusitis in a child resulting in a disastrous intracranial sequela. Ear Nose Throat J. 2012;91(11):E20-2.
-
12Lavania A, Sharma V, Reddy NS, Baksh R. Orbital cellulitis--a complication of sinusitis. Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2005;3(3):292-3.
-
13Magnano M, Ferrero V, Morra B, Bussi M. Orbital and endocranial complications in acute sinusitis in childhood. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 1992;12(6):565-73.
-
14McAlister WH, Lusk R, Muntz HR. Comparison of plain radiographs and coronal CT scans in infants and children with recurrent sinusitis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1989;153(6):1259-64.
-
15Reid JR. Complications of pediatric paranasal sinusitis. Pediatr Radiol. 2004;34(12):933-42. PMID: 15278322 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-1252-2
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-1252-2 -
16Pereira FJ, Velasco e Cruz AA, Anselmo-Lima WT, Elias Júnior J. Computed tomographic patterns of orbital cellulitis due to sinusitis. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2006;69(4):513-8. PMID: 17119723 DOI: http:// dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-27492006000400011
» http:// dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-27492006000400011 -
17Howe L, Jones NS. Guidelines for the management of periorbital cellulitis/abscess. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 2004;29(6):725-8. PMID: 15533168 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.2004.00889.x
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.2004.00889.x -
18Mitchell R, Kelly J, Wagner J. Bilateral orbital complications of pediatric rhinosinusitis. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002;128(8):971-4. PMID: 12162781 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.128.8.971
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.128.8.971 -
19Filips RF, Liudahl JJ. Asymptomatic posterior orbital cellulitis resulting from ethmoid/maxillary sinusitis. J Am Optom Assoc. 1997;68(1):55-60. PMID: 9037991
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
Nov-Dec 2013
History
-
Received
11 June 2013 -
Accepted
12 Aug 2013