Subperiosteal inflammation of the orbit. A bacteriological analysis of 17 cases
G. J. Harris
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Seventeen cases of subperiosteal inflammation of the orbit secondary to
sinusitis were analyzed from a bacteriological perspective. The recovered
pathogens ranged from single aerobes to mixed aerobes and anaerobes. The
bacteriology was not related to the duration of symptoms of sinusitis.
Three cases with the diagnostic criteria for subperiosteal inflammation
resolved with antibiotics alone. The most refractory infections had the
most complex bacterial constituencies and persisted despite in vitro
antibiotic susceptibility of individual organisms. In these cases, local
physical conditions may be drastically altered in favor of the bacteria.
Ventilation of the subperiosteal space and sinuses by surgical drainage can
help to normalize the milieu in favor of the host.
