A complicated case of orbital cellulitis: When the fog doesn't clear.

Abstract

Orbital cellulitis is a potential sight-threatening infection of the ocular adnexal structures posterior to the orbital septum. Acute bacterial sinusitis remains the most common cause of orbital cellulitis in the paediatric age group. Simultaneous intracranial and orbital complications from orbital cellulitis are rare. We describe a case of orbital cellulitis, which proceeded to sub-periosteal abscess formation and intracranial abscess within days of the initial presentation. The specific features of this case including the rapid progression of the orbital inflammation, failure of improvement over 48 h despite maximal medical treatment and incorrect initial reporting of computed tomography imaging all contributed to the complications seen in this case.