Breaking the mold of orbital cellulitis

Breaking the mold of orbital cellulitis

Surv Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov

Peden MC, Neelakantan A, Orlando C, Khan SA, Lessner A, Bhatti MT.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

A 52-year-old, immune-suppressed man presented with painful proptosis. Orbital imaging revealed enhancement of his right inferior rectus muscle and mild ethmoidal sinus disease. Sinus washings and turbinectomy demonstrated Curvularia. Despite aggressive intravenous antimicrobials, the patient remained febrile. Repeat imaging demonstrated a well-defined intramuscular abscess without contiguous orbital or paranasal involvement. Following surgical drainage, the patient improved. Cultures of the material expressed from the abscess confirmed a co-infection with Fusarium. Although rare, fungal abscess of the extraocular muscle should be considered in patients (particularly if immunosuppressed) with extraocular muscle enlargement resistant to conventional antimicrobial therapy. Prompt diagnosis and treatment could potentially prevent further serious morbidity or mortality.

Elsevier

Efficacy of oral beta-lactam versus non-beta-lactam treatment of uncomplicated cellulitis.

Efficacy of oral beta-lactam versus non-beta-lactam treatment of uncomplicated cellulitis.

Am J Med. 2008

Madaras-Kelly KJ, Remington RE, Oliphant CM, Sloan KL, Bearden DT.College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Boise, Idaho, USA. KMK@otc.isu.edu

BACKGROUND: Preferred therapy for purulent skin and soft tissue infections is incision and drainage, but many infections cannot be drained. Empiric therapies for these infections are ill-defined in the era of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study of outpatients treated for cellulitis was conducted to compare clinical failure rates of oral beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam treatments. Exclusion criteria included purulent infection requiring incision and drainage, complicated skin and soft tissue infection, chronic ulceration, and intravenous antibiotics. Failure rates were compared using logistic regression to adjust for both covariates associated with failure and a propensity score for beta-lactam treatment.

RESULTS: Of 2977 patients, 861 met inclusion criteria and were classified by treatment: beta-lactam (n = 631) or non-beta-lactam therapy (n = 230). Failure rates were 14.7% versus 17.0% (odds ratio [OR] 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-1.31) for beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam therapy, respectively. Failure was associated with: age (P = .02), acute symptom severity (P = .03), animal bites (P = .03), Charlson score > 3 (P = .02), and histamine-2 receptor antagonist use (P = .09). Relative efficacy of beta-lactam therapy was greater after adjustment for factors associated with failure but remained statistically insignificant (adjusted OR 0.81, 95% CI, 0.53-1.24); adjusted including propensity score covariate (OR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.45-1.13). Discontinuation due to adverse effects differed between beta-lactam (0.5%) and non-beta-lactam (2.2%) therapies (P = .04).

CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in clinical failure between beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated cellulitis. Increased discontinuation due to adverse events with non-beta-lactam therapy was observed.

ScienceDirect

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp treated with rifampicin and isotretinoin: case reports

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp treated with rifampicin and isotretinoin: case reports

Cutis. 2008 Sep

Georgala S, Korfitis C, Ioannidou D, Alestas T, Kylafis G, Georgala C.
Department of Dermatology, University of Athens, Andreas Sygros Hospital, Greece.

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, or perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens, is an uncommon chronic suppurative disease of the scalp manifested by follicular and perifollicular inflammatory nodules that suppurate and undermine, forming intercommunicating sinuses, and leading to scarring alopecia. Treatment generally fails to obtain a permanently successful result; thus, many therapeutic options have been proposed. We report 4 cases of dissecting cellulitis of the scalp successfully treated with oral rifampicin and oral isotretinoin. To our knowledge, this is the first report of oral rifampicin used concomitantly with oral isotretinoin in this disease entity. We also present a brief review of the literature on the topic.

PubMed

MR Imaging of Orbital Inflammatory Syndrome, Orbital Cellulitis, and Orbital Lymphoid Lesions: The Role of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging.

MR Imaging of Orbital Inflammatory Syndrome, Orbital Cellulitis, and Orbital Lymphoid Lesions: The Role of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging.

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2008 Oct 8

Kapur R, Sepahdari AR, Mafee MF, Putterman AM, Aakalu V, Wendel LJ, Setabutr P.
Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, Calif; and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Orbital inflammatory syndrome (OIS) has clinical features that overlap with orbital lymphoid lesions and orbital cellulitis. Prompt diagnosis is needed in all 3 conditions because the management of each one differs greatly. CT and MR imaging, though useful, do not always distinguish among these conditions. The aim of this study was to identify the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating these 3 diagnoses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of orbital MR imaging was conducted. T1- and T2-weighted and postcontrast images were analyzed. Region-of-interest analysis was performed by using measurements in areas of abnormality seen on conventional MR imaging sequences and measurements of the ipsilateral thalamus for each patient. The DWI signal intensity of the lesion was expressed as a percentage of average thalamic intensity in each patient. Similarly, lesion apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and lesion-thalamus ADC ratios were calculated. Statistical significance was determined by the Kruskal-Wallis test, and post hoc pairwise comparisons, by the Mann-Whitney U test for DWI-intensity ratio, ADC, and ADC ratio.

RESULTS: A significant difference was noted in DWI intensities, ADC, and ADC ratio between OIS, orbital lymphoid lesions, and orbital cellulitis (P < .05). Lymphoid lesions were significantly brighter than OIS, and OIS lesions were significantly brighter than cellulitis. Lymphoid lesions showed lower ADC than OIS and cellulitis. A trend was seen toward lower ADC in OIS than in cellulitis (P = .17).

CONCLUSIONS: DWI may help differentiate OIS from lymphoid lesions and cellulitis and may allow more rapid management.

American Journal of Radiology (Full text article)