[Rationale for a diagnostic approach in non-Graves' orbital inflammation--Report of 61 patients]

Clinical Characteristics of Idiopathic Orbital Inflammation Syndrome in Relation to Intraocular Pressure

Purpose

To investigate the clinical characteristics of idiopathic orbital inflammation and changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) before and after its treatment.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively studied 20 eyes from the medical records of 19 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic orbital inflammation between April 1, 2004, and April 30, 2019, at Toyama University Hospital. The inflammation site (type of disease), treatment provided, IOP before and after treatment, and the symptoms (proptosis, decreased ocular movements or diplopia, periorbital edema, and ocular pain) were analyzed.

Results

The types of idiopathic orbital inflammation were dacryoadenitis in 14, myositis in 7, diffuse-type in 3, and posterior periscleritis in 1 case. The mean IOP after treatment was 15.4±3.9 mm Hg, which was significantly lower than the mean pretreatment IOP of 19.0±5.3 mm Hg (p = 0.009). Before treatment, all cases with the diffuse-type had high IOPs of 21 mm Hg or more. Ocular pain and eye movement disorders were present in 86% and 100% of subjects in the group with an IOP of 21 mm Hg or higher, but 38% and 31% in the group with an IOP of 20 mm Hg or lower, respectively.

Conclusion

Diffuse-type of idiopathic orbital inflammation is prone to develop high IOP. Patients with idiopathic orbital inflammation and high IOP exhibit many symptoms such as decreased ocular movements, diplopia, and ocular pain.

Acute Proptosis in a Diabetic Patient: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Dilemmas

An elderly diabetic lady presented with a painful swollen right eye and blurred vision for one week, preceded by right eye redness for six months. Her right eye best-corrected visual acuity was finger counting at 1 m. There was right eye proptosis, limited extraocular muscle movements, corkscrew vessels, chemosis and elevated intraocular pressure, but no bruit. Fever was absent. Computed tomography of the brain and orbit showed thickened extraocular muscles and intraconal fat streakiness, with normal superior ophthalmic vein and concavity of the cavernous sinus. Intravenous antibiotics resulted in limited clinical improvement. The subsequent response to oral prednisolone was dramatic, with the improvement of visual acuity to 20/60 after three doses. In cases of atypical orbital cellulitis where antibiotics fail, one should consider differential diagnoses such as orbital inflammatory disease, vascular anomalies and masqueraders. We discuss the approach to the diagnosis of acute proptosis in a diabetic patient and highlight the role of corticosteroids in idiopathic orbital inflammatory disease.