Interactive Transcript
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Whenever we are considering periorbital
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cellulitis or orbital cellulitis,
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we may also consider the entity of orbital pseudotumor,
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also known as idiopathic orbital inflammation.
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The reason why these are difficult differential diagnoses
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is that both may be associated with orbital pain,
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both may be associated with orbital chemosis,
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and both may be associated with orbital erythema.
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The difference is that orbital pseudotumor
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is usually treated with steroids,
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whereas periorbital cellulitis will be treated with antibiotics.
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And therefore, you have to make that distinction.
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With respect to orbital pseudotumor,
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it can affect any part of the orbit.
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In this case,
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we see the inflammation over the eyelid, as well
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as affecting the anterior chamber and cornea.
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But the patient also has scleral thickening and some element
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of infiltration of the orbital fat, which might suggest
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orbital cellulitis.
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This is where the clinical evaluation to look for a source of
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infection on the skin surface or the
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paranasal sinuses is critical.
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As I mentioned,
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orbital pseudotumor can affect nearly every portion of the
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orbit, including the eyelids, including the lacrimal gland,
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including the lacrimal sac.
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However, the most common form of it infiltrates as a mass in the orbit,
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most commonly affecting the lacrimal gland,
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or it can affect the muscles of the orbit, and we discussed how
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they will affect the muscular tendons, as opposed
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to that with thyroid eye disease.
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You note that orbital pseudotumor can be a source of
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optic neuritis, scleritis, and eyelid inflammation.
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This is a disease entity which is usually quite painful
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and the patients are in distress.
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Treatment begins with steroids. However, if the steroids are ineffective,
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low-dose radiation therapy, usually less than 2000 rads,
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is sufficient for the treatment of orbital pseudotumor.
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The next in line of therapy would be immunosuppressives, and then
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rarely, if it is a mass, one can remove it with surgery.
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