Jacqueline R. Carrasco

Wooden intraorbital foreign body injuries: clinical characteristics and outcomes of 23 patients.

Purpose: To describe the clinical characteristics, interventions, and visual outcomes of orbital injuries associated with wooden foreign bodies. Methods: A retrospective case review of orbital injuries managed at Wills Eye Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary was conducted between 1992 and 2006. Results: The clinical course and management for a total of 23 intraorbital wooden foreign body injuries were reviewed. The distribution of wood included pencil (39%), tree branch/plant matter (35%), and other treated wood (26%). About half of the subjects (52%) presented with preoperative vision between 20/20 and 20/40. Almost half of the subjects with preoperative vision between 20/20 to 20/40 retained vision in that range postoperatively (48%). Time from injury to presentation was highly variable, ranging from 24 hours to 17 months (mean, 62 days; median, 3 days). Forty-three percent of subjects presented within 24 hours of injury. The site of foreign body found within the orbit was superior (26%; n = 6), medial 30% (n = 7), inferior (26%, n = 6), posterior (9%; n = 2), and lateral (4%; n = 1). Preliminary radiographic interpretation for foreign body was definite in 61% (n = 14), possible in 22% (n = 5), and absent in 13% (n = 3). Conclusions: Young men are at particularly high risk for wood intraorbital foreign body. There was a relatively equal distribution of wood type. The time from injury to presentation was variable, ranging from <1 day to over a year. Almost half of the subjects presented within 24 hours of injury. In patients with a known site of penetration, almost half occurred in the conjunctiva, notably without presence of eyelid laceration, emphasizing the need to check the conjunctiva and fornices closely. Preliminary radiographic readings often miss or are inconclusive in detecting the foreign body. The shape, location, serial examinations, and particularly the use of quantitative CT are extremely helpful in distinguishing retained wood foreign body from other low-density signals of air or fat.

Update on advanced imaging options for thyroid-associated orbitopathy

Thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) is a diverse spectrum of signs and symptoms that appears to have immunologic and pathologic causative factors as diverse as its clinical presentations. Lymphocytes, hormones, and cytokines affect orbital fibroblasts and other similar cells, which exert their effects on orbital tissues, including the extraocular muscles, orbital fat, and optic nerve. This complicated inflammatory cascade and the myriad of clinical findings that result contributes to the active phase of TAO. The distinction between the active and inactive phases of TAO is an important one, as the proper treatment will depend on the disease phase and degree thereof. Several clinical grading scales and scores have been established to help qualify and quantify the disease severity. Aiding clinical exam and acumen, proper and reproducible imaging of the orbit and ocular adnexa is incredibly important to the management of TAO. Orbital ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and scintigraphy each have unique abilities, including quantifying orbital changes, assessing disease activity, correlating orbital findings with clinical changes, guiding appropriate treatment, and monitoring therapeutic responses. Further, study ease, accessibility, cost, sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and risks are all important considerations in picking the right test with which to diagnose and follow TAO. This analysis will provide a review of orbital imaging for TAO, including the mechanism of each imaging technique as well as their rationales, advantages, disadvantages, and utilities.

Autoenucleation resulting in carotid thrombosis, subdural hemorrhage, stroke, and death.

A 46-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder suffered carotid thrombosis, subdural hemorrhage, and stroke resulting in death following autoenucleation of the left globe. This is the first reported case of carotid thrombosis as a result of autoenucleation.

Intracranial Infectious Aneurysm in Orbital Cellulitis

Abstract Infectious intracranial aneurysm and cavernous sinus thrombosis are rare complications of orbital cellulitis. We report the case of a 46-year-old male presenting with sinusitis and orbital cellulitis complicated by the development of an orbital mass. Following orbitotomy with debulking, the patient underwent bony orbital decompression for increasing proptosis postoperatively. While his exam stabilized, the patient developed complete ptosis and extraocular motor palsy in the contralateral eye after undergoing bilateral sinus debridement. Imaging was notable for the presence of a pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery, which was treated with a stent. This report demonstrates rare complications of orbital cellulitis. These patients should be monitored carefully with noninvasive imaging studies, such as cerebral angiography, for early detection of vascular abnormalities that can progress rapidly.

Self-inflicted enucleations: Clinical features of seven cases

ABSTRACT We report the clinical presentation, radiography, and management outcomes of autoenucleations (AE). Charts of 7 patients evaluated at 4 institutions with AE were reviewed. Four males and three females had a mean age of 50 years (range 26–72 years). The etiologies were psychosis secondary to underlying mental illness (6, 88%) and substance use (1, 12%), and the mechanism was largely blunt digital injury (6, 88%). Three (43%) AE patients suffered bilateral enucleations. Common concomitant injuries included eyelid lacerations (5, 71%) and optic nerve avulsion (3, 43%). Radiography was utilized for all of the study patients with computed tomography as the most common (5, 71%), followed by ultrasound (1, 14%), and magnetic resonance imaging with CT angiography (1, 14). Orbital exploration was performed in the management of all patients. Orbital implants were placed in 4 (57%) patients. Patients were followed for a mean of 1.9 months (range 1–4 months). Autoenucleation affects both genders and is commonly associated with eyelid lacerations, optic nerve avulsion, and intracranial hemorrhage. The association with intracranial hemorrhage is consistent with prior reports of internal carotid artery injury following shearing of the optic nerve. Autoenucleation cases were seen secondary to mental or substance induced psychosis, and these patients may be at risk for future injuries such as AE of the contralateral globe. The common causes for psychosis reported our patient group include schizophrenia, depression, schizoaffective disorder, and methamphetamine-induced psychosis, which corroborates with similar cases in the literature. Two of three cases of bilateral AE suffered sequential AE where the contralateral globe was enucleated days apart. All patients suffering AE should have full medical, psychiatric, neurologic, and radiologic evaluation and monitoring while under care. When evaluating patients with obvious ocular injury, accompanying intracranial injuries should be ruled out in a timely fashion before pursuing surgical intervention.

Dacryoadenitis due to gonococcal conjunctivitis complicated by corneal perforation

ABSTRACT Adnexal and periocular involvement in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection is rare. This report describes the case of a patient with a delayed diagnosis of gonococcal dacryoadenitis with contiguous conjunctivitis and corneal involvement. She underwent extensive inpatient laboratory and infectious workup but rapidly progressed to corneal perforation requiring emergent penetrating keratoplasty prior to a positive culture confirming the diagnosis. To date, this is the first reported case of ophthalmologic NG infection with associated conjunctivitis, dacryoadenitis, and corneal perforation.

Endoscopic Management of Lacrimal System Dysgenesis and Dacryocystoceles in Fraser Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background Fraser syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized primarily by syndactyly, cryptophthalmos, urinary tract anomalies, ambiguous genitalia, and laryngeal anomalies. A 28-year-old man with Fraser syndrome presented with cryptophthalmos, microphthalmia, lacrimal system dysgenesis, and chronic sinusitis. Objective The patients’ clinical condition and surgical treatment are described. A literature review was conducted, and articles relevant to the case are presented. Methods Case report. Results To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of endonasal management of dacryocystoceles in a Fraser syndrome patient. The patient was treated via endoscopic endonasal marsupialization and drainage. Conclusion Fraser syndrome patients may initially present to many different specialties as the spectrum of clinical manifestations is broad. Physicians treating these patients should take a collaborative approach to surgical and medical management.

Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Orbital Apex and Dura Masquerading as Idiopathic Inflammation.

This is a retrospective case description of a single female patient found to have a primary solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the orbital apex and temporal/parietal dura. These monoclonal plasma cell neoplasms account for fewer than 5% of plasma cell neoplasms. Although most commonly found in the head and neck, orbital and dural solitary extramedullary plasmacytomas are extremely uncommon. The authors present a case of an extramedullary plasmacytoma involving both of these structures in a middle-age otherwise healthy female to highlight this rare entity and elucidate current treatment modalities and future considerations.

Giant Ocular Horn Occurring in a 10-Year-Old Female.

Cutaneous horns uncommonly involve the periocular region. Involvement of the ocular surface is particularly rare. The authors present a patient who underwent a perinatal buccal mucosal graft for corneal perforation due to congenital corneal ectasia, most likely resulting from Peters anomaly. She developed a giant ocular horn 10 years later.

Bilateral optic nerve edema presenting as initial manifestation of thyroid eye disease

ABSTRACT A 48-year-old smoker with a history of hyperthyroidism treated 10 years prior to presentation with radioactive iodine ablation of the thyroid gland presented to his ophthalmologist with a 2-week history of transient loss of vision in the right eye occurring for 1 to 2 hours each morning. He denied ocular pain, diplopia or change in the prominence of one or both eyes. Examination revealed 2 mm of relative proptosis on the right, bilateral temporal flare and lower lid retraction. There was minimal upper lid retraction and no evidence of lid lag. Ocular motility was full. Dilated fundoscopic examination revealed bilateral optic nerve edema, right more than left. CT of the orbit demonstrated enlargement of the extraocular muscles bilaterally with marked enlargement of the right medial rectus and left inferior rectus muscles resulting in crowding at the orbital apex bilaterally. Laboratory testing revealed the patient to be hyperthyroid. The patient was treated with high dose oral steroids followed by orbital radiation. Hyperthyroidism was managed by the patient’s primary care physician. Visual symptoms rapidly improved with oral steroids and orbital radiation. Optic nerve edema completely resolved. Repeat CT imaging demonstrated a reduction in the enlargement of the extraocular muscles with relief of bilateral optic nerve compression.