Because opinions still differ not only as to the cause and seriousness of orbital cellulitis but also as to its treatment, a group of physicians from Pittsburgh has come up with new guidelines for management of the condition.
Victor L. Schramm, Jr, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, teamed with chief of radiology Hugh D. Curtin, MD, and professor of ophthalmology and neurology John S. Kennerdell, MD, both of the same institution, to review 303 cases of orbital cellulitis treated at Children's Hospital and at the Eye and Ear Hospital of Pittsburgh during the last decade.
They found, as had others previously, that inflammation in or around the orbit affects primarily children; 68% of the patients were younger than 8 years of age. However, the disease was least severe among the youngest children. Ninety-seven percent of those younger than 4 years of age