Purpose: Retrospective study of clinical and therapeutic aspects in children with orbital and preseptal cellulitis. Methods: Fifty-two records of patients admitted at the São Rafael Hospital between 1990 and 1998 were reviewed. The age of the patients ranged from one month to twelve years. Based on a protocol elaborated by the authors the following aspects were analyzed: age, sex, predisposing factors, localization of the cellulitis in the orbital region, clinical, laboratorial and image findings as well as the clinical or surgical therapy and the occurrence of complications. Results: Trauma was the most frequent predisposing factor of orbital and preseptal cellulitis in childhood, followed by sinusitis and undefined causes. The great majority of the infections occurred in the preseptal region. Hemocultures revealed 71% of negativity followed by positivity for S. aureus (19.9%) and H. influenzae (4.79%). All the patients were treated and cured with antibiotic therapy using 16 types of antibiotics in 25 different therapeutic schedules. Surgical drainage was performed in only 7 patients. Conclusion: Despite the lack of uniformity and the diversity of treatment used in this series all the patients were cured without complications. This fact indicates the need of future prospective studies in order to elaborate a therapeutic protocol for the treatment of orbital cellulitis in children based on a cost-benefit relation.
Orbital diseases; Cellulitis; Child; Preschool
