Orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis: a new classification.

UNLABELLED: Rhinosinusitis is a severe sickness and may have serious complications. Orbital complications happen more often, due to anatomical particularities and are lethal in 5% of patients. They vary from inflammatory signs to proptosis, loss of ocular motility and blindness. AIM: We propose a new classification of acute rhinosinusitis complications. METHODS: A review of 83 patients with CT scan and clinical reports. Patients were evaluated at HCFMRP-USP between 1995 and 2005 and were diagnosed with complicated rhinosinusitis. RESULTS: In sixty-six patients, were identified three types of orbital complications: orbital cellulitis (46.9%), subperiosteal abscess (40.9%) and orbital abscess (12.1%). Seventeen were considered as eyelid infections and excluded from this new classification system. CONCLUSIONS: The existing classifications of orbital complications, as Chandlers, do not consider the orbits anatomical characteristics and became obsolete after the development of the CT scan. This study proposes a new, more objective classification to guide the physician in establishing lines of conduct for each case.

Complicações orbitárias da rinossinusite aguda: uma nova classificação / Orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis: a new classification

A rinossinusite é uma doença potencialmente grave, e pode apresentar sérias complicações. As orbitárias são as mais freqüentes, graças às peculiaridades anatômicas desta região, podendo levar à morte em 5 por cento dos casos. Os sintomas variam desde sinais flogísticos periorbitários até proptose do globo ocular, oftalmoplegia e amaurose. OBJETIVOS: Proposição de uma nova classificação para as complicações orbitárias das rinossinusites agudas. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Revisão de TC e prontuários de 83 pacientes atendidos no Hospital das Clínicas da FMRP-USP, entre os anos de 1995 a 2005, com rinossinusites agudas complicadas. RESULTADOS: Após a revisão das TC e história clínica, foram identificadas em sessenta e seis pacientes, três tipos de complicações orbitárias: celulite orbitária (46,9 por cento), abscesso subperiosteal (40,9 por cento) e abscesso orbitário (12,1 por cento). Dezessete foram considerados como infecções palpebrais, ficando excluídos da nova classificação. CONCLUSÃO: As classificações das complicações orbitárias existentes na atualidade, como a de Chandler, não levam em conta os parâmetros anatômicos da órbita e tornaram-se obsoletas com o advento da TC. Este estudo propõe uma classificação mais concisa e objetiva que ajude a guiar a conduta terapêutica de forma mais linear.

Rhinosinusitis is a severe sickness and may have serious complications. Orbital complications happen more often, due to anatomical particularities and are lethal in 5 percent of patients. They vary from inflammatory signs to proptosis, loss of ocular motility and blindness. AIM: We propose a new classification of acute rhinosinusitis complications. METHODS: A review of 83 patients with CT scan and clinical reports. Patients were evaluated at HCFMRP-USP between 1995 and 2005 and were diagnosed with complicated rhinosinusitis. RESULTS: In sixty-six patients, were identified three types of orbital complications: orbital cellulitis (46. 9 percent), subperiosteal abscess (40. 9 percent) and orbital abscess (12.1 percent). Seventeen were considered as eyelid infections and excluded from this new classification system. CONCLUSIONS: The existing classifications of orbital complications, as Chandler’s, do not consider the orbit’s anatomical characteristics and became obsolete after the development of the CT scan. This study proposes a new, more objective classification to guide the physician in establishing lines of conduct for each case.