Arteriovenous malformations are congenital lesions that may evolve with time and manifest in a plethora of presentations. They can occur as torrential epistaxis when it extensively involves the facial region. Multi-imaging modalities are available to assist in characterizing the structure of the lesion as well as its location and extent. This complex disease requires a multidisciplinary team approach with preoperative embolization and surgery. We present a rare cause of life-threatening epistaxis in a gentleman with a longstanding orbital and hemifacial arteriovenous malformation and discuss the complexities involved in its management.
We report the rare occurrence of bilateral asymmetrical mucoceles of the paranasal sinuses that resulted in a unilateral orbital complication. The patient was a 47-year-old woman who presented with complaints of diplopia, blurred vision, and protrusion of her right eye that had progressed over a period of several months following an upper respiratory tract infection. Computed tomography detected the presence of two large, asymmetrical mucoceles. The lesion on the right involved the frontal and ethmoid sinuses, and the one on the left involved the ethmoid sinus. The mucoceles were locally expansile and had eroded the surrounding bony structures on the right. The expansile nature of the right-sided mass had displaced the right orbit, which was the cause of the vision deterioration. Transnasal endoscopic surgery was performed to excise and marsupialize the mucoceles. This modality was preferred over conventional open surgery because it affords good visualization, it is safe, and it is a less morbid procedure. The patient's recovery was uneventful, and she was discharged home on the third postoperative day. On continuing follow-up, her vision had improved, her intraocular pressure had returned to normal, and her orbits were in their normal position. Based on our literature search, no case of bilateral frontal and ethmoid sinus mucoceles has been previously reported.
Orbital cellulits is one of the life threatening event that should not be missed out and must be distinguished from preseptal cellulitis. It is an infective process involving ocular adnexal structures posterior to the orbital septum. High index of suspicion is the key to its diagnosis as even experienced physician can miss. Here, we present a case of a 15-year-old female who presented with progressive swelling over right forehead associated with high grade fever, headache and purulent discharge of the swelling. She was diagnosed with sepsis due to right forehead abscess and was treated with intravenous antibiotics followed with admission. However, she suddenly deteriorated in the ward which required intubation and thereby Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Investigations revealed fluid collection at right retrobulbar space suggestive of an abscess where emergency drainage was carried out. Unfortunately, her condition worsened and patient succumbed at day-10 of admission, despite all efforts.
Thyroid associated ophthalmopathy is an autoimmune disorder affecting the orbital and periorbital tissues. Hyperthyroidism is commonly associated with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy, however in 5% to 10% of cases it is euthyroid. Genetic, environmental and endogenous factors play a role in the initiation of the thyroid ophthalmopathy. Smoking has been identified as the strongest risk factor for the development of the disorder. The pathogenesis involves activation of both humoral and cell mediated immunity with subsequent production of gycoaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid resulting in oedema formation, increase extraocular mass and adipogenesis in the orbit. The natural history of the disease progresses from active to inactive fibrotic stage over a period of years. Diagnosis is mainly clinical and almost all patients with ophthalmopathy exhibit some form of thyroid abnormality on further testing. Treatment is based on the clinical severity of the disease. Non-severe cases are managed by supportive measures to reduce the symptomatology and severe cases are treated by either medical or surgical decompression. Rehabilitative surgery is done for quiescent disease to reduce diplopia and improve cosmesis.
Eye socket contracture is a well-known late complication of enucleation surgery, and the additional insult of radiotherapy at an early age causes even further fibrosis and scarring of the socket. Management of the contracted socket is challenging, and several methods have been proposed. We report a case of eye socket contracture after enucleation and radiotherapy in which multiple reconstructive procedures failed. The recurrent contracture caused difficulty in housing and retaining the eye prosthesis. We reconstructed the lower eyelid with a facial artery myomucosal flap and nasolabial flap, and the upper eyelid with a Fricke flap following reconstruction of the orbital rims (supraorbital and infraorbital rims with a calvarial bone graft, and further augmentation of the infraorbital rim with a rib bone graft). Cosmesis post-reconstruction was acceptable and the prosthesis was retained very well.
A 43 year-old man presented with pain on the right tooth for three days duration. Computed tomography showed left orbital cellulitis and right parapharyngeal abscess. There was also evidence suggestive of a dental abscess over right upper alveolar region. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed left superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis. Emergency drainage of the right parapharyngeal abscess was performed. Right maxillary molar extraction revealed periapical abscess. Left eye proptosis markedly reduced after initiating heparin.
Exenteration surgery greatly affects a person in terms of function, esthetics, and psychological trauma. In such cases, restoration by silicone orbital prosthesis is a well-accepted treatment option. However, this is a difficult task, necessitating personalized design of method for each patient. This case report describes the technique for fabrication of a silicone orbital prosthesis for a male patient with left orbital defect due to exenteration of a Grade 3 squamous cell carcinoma of the left eye and surrounding tissues. The patient was delivered with a satisfactory silicone orbital prosthesis having good retention and finish. Multidisciplinary management and team approach are crucial in providing precise and effective rehabilitation for improving the patient's quality of life and help them return to their normal social life.
Objective: To report an aggressive case of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) of the ethmoid sinus presenting as orbital cellulitis Method: Case report Results: A 56-year-old male presented with right eye redness, reduced vision, and periorbital swelling for 5 weeks duration associated with a two-month history of blocked nose. The visual acuity of the right eye was 6/18. The eye was proptosed with periorbital oedema and conjunctival chemosis. The pupil was mid-dilated but there was no relative afferent pupillary defect. The fundus was normal. The extraocular movements were restricted in all directions of gaze. Nasal endoscopy revealed pansinusitis that corresponded with CT scan orbit and paranasal sinuses findings. Despite treatment, he showed no clinical improvement. Ethmoidal sinus biopsies performed revealed extranodal NKTCL. Further imaging showed involvement of the right orbital contents and its adnexa with intracranial extension into the right cavernous sinus and meninges over right temporal fossa. The patient underwent chemotherapy. However he succumbed to his illness two months after the diagnosis. Conclusion: Extranodal NKTCL is a great mimicker. This case demonstrated how an acute initial presentation of extranodal NKTCL can present as orbital cellulitis with pansinusitis.
Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the orbit in adults. It causes inflammation, expansion and fibrosis of orbital fat, muscles and the lacrimal gland, leading to facial disfigurement, functional disability and, in severe cases, blindness. Overall, approximately 20% of affected patients need some form of surgical intervention requiring anaesthesia. This narrative review explores the background of thyroid eye disease, surgical procedures performed and their implications for anaesthesia. General anaesthesia is used for orbital decompression procedures, strabismus correction surgery and complex oculoplastic procedures. Local anaesthetic infiltration or regional anaesthesia under monitored anaesthesia care are the techniques most commonly employed for eyelid retraction surgery. It is important to limit the volume of local anaesthetic agent used during infiltration and continuously monitor the orbital volume and ocular pressure with a ballottement technique. In addition, the contralateral eye should be checked and, if necessary, protected against corneal exposure. Retrobulbar, peribulbar and sub-Tenon's blocks are best avoided. Topical anaesthesia has been used for some strabismus correction surgery but its use is limited to motivated and cooperative patients only.
This comparative cross-sectional study assessed the facial surface dimensions of a group of Malay children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and compared them with a control group. 30 Malay children with UCLP aged 8-10 years and 30 unaffected age-matched children were voluntarily recruited from the Orthodontic Specialist Clinic in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). For the cleft group, lip and palate were repaired and assessment was performed prior to alveolar bone grafting and orthodontic treatment. The investigation was carried out using 3D digital stereophotogrammetry. 23 variables and two ratios were compared three-dimensionally between both groups. Statistically significant dimensional differences (P<0.05) were found between the UCLP Malay group and the control group mainly in the nasolabial region. These include increased alar base and alar base root width, shorter upper lip length, and increased nose base/mouth width ratio in the UCLP group. There were significant differences between the facial surface morphology of UCLP Malay children and control subjects. Particular surgical procedures performed during primary surgeries may contribute to these differences and negatively affect the surgical outcome.
A patient on oral contraceptives over several years developed unilateral proptosis, haemorrhagic retinopathy and increase in intraocular pressure. An orbital vein venogram confirmed the diagnosis of right superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis. There was complete resolution of thrombosis and eye signs and symptoms with discontinuation of the oral contraceptive.
Sinus surgery has the potential of allowing ENT surgeons to encroach the boundaries of our colleagues in ophthalmology and neurosurgery. The advent of nasal endoscope and lately powered instrumentation and computer-assisted navigational systems has avoided the use of the conventional and more radical approaches by the ENT surgeon for the treatment of inflammatory pathology or tumors of the orbit and skull base. As rhinologists have gained more experience in endoscopic surgery, more areas related to the orbit and the anterior skull base are accessible and surgery is safer.
A 42-year-old Malay gentleman presented with progressive painless blurring of vision on his left eye associated with ocular ache, redness and increasing proptosis. Examination revealed presence of relative afferent papillary defect with visual acuity of counting finger, and 6/6 on the right eye. Extraocular muscle movement of the left eye was restricted to ten percent in all directions. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed enhancing mass occupying the left orbital apex. Diagnosis of optic nerve sheath meningioma was made, and patient subsequently went for radiotherapy. His symptoms subsided completely, until he presented with similar visual complains, and fullness of the upper lid two years later. A repeated MRI showed enlargement of superior and lateral recti muscles with extension to lacrimal gland region. Biopsy of the lacrimal gland revealed inflammatory cells consistent of inflammatory pseudotumor. High dose systemic steroid was instituted, followed by slow tapering of oral steroid. His symptoms completely resolved, and latest visual acuity was 6/9, with no recurrence, to date.
A 50-year-old Chinese man presented with sudden onset of painful right eye, diplopia, and redness associated with headache and deteriorating vision. Examination revealed obvious proptosis with elevated intraocular pressure. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed presence of retrobulbar haemmorhage. Emergency lateral canthotomy and cantholysis was performed followed by medical orbital decompression, resulting in improvements in visual acuity, and other ocular symptoms. The diagnosis of thrombosed orbital varices involving inferior ophthalmic vein was confirmed on radiological- angiographic study. To date, he is symptoms-free with good visual acuity. Immediate surgical decompression with lateral cantholysis for retrobulbar haemorrhage was effective in the treatment of retrobulbar haemorrhage.
Toxoplasmic optic neuropathy is rare and usually occurs monoocularly. This case report demonstrates a rare presentation of bilateral
juxtapapillary retinochoroiditis (Jensen disease) due to toxoplasma infection in
a young healthy patient. A 20-year-old lady presented with bilateral painless
blurring of central vision for 5 days duration. It was preceded by fever, upper
respiratory tract symptoms and headache. There was no history of contact or
being scratched by a cat. Visual acuity was counting fingers for the right eye
and 6/45 for the left eye. There was presence of relative afferent pupillary
defect in the right eye. Optic nerve functions were impaired bilaterally which
was severe in the right eye. Both eyes showed the presence of mild anterior
segment inflammation and vitritis. Fundus examination revealed juxtapapillary
retinochoroiditis bilaterally with swollen optic disc. Optical coherence
tomography (OCT) showed presence of intra-retinal and sub-retinal fluid at
macular area bilaterally. Serology for anti-toxoplasma Immunoglobulin G (IgG)
was positive with titre of 1450 IU/ml. Computed tomography scan (CT scan) of
brain and orbit was normal. A diagnosis of bilateral juxtapapillary
retinochoroiditis or Jensen disease was made. Oral azithromycin 500 mg daily
and guttae prednisolone 4 hourly for 6 weeks was commenced. Oral
prednisolone 50 mg daily (1 mg/kg/day) was added after completion of 1 week
of antibiotic and was tapered down within 5 weeks. There was improvement of
vision as early as 3 weeks post initiation of the treatment. Upon 6 weeks
completing the treatment, her vision has improved to 6/7.5 on both eyes with
resolution of optic disc swelling and sub-retinal fluid. Early recognition and
initiation of treatment in toxoplasma infection associated with juxtapapillary
retinochoroiditis usually result in good visual prognosis.
Acute ptosis due to preseptal cellulitis requires urgent medical attention, as the infection can extend posteriorly into the orbit, leading to significant visual and cerebral complications. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus presenting with acute ptosis due to preseptal cellulitis. After initial resolution of fever with intravenous amoxicillin-clavulanate, she experienced a seizure due to cerebral abscess a week later and was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone. Preseptal cellulitis is usually treated on an outpatient basis with oral antibiotics, as it rarely extends posteriorly to cause cerebral complications. We wish to highlight the importance of admitting patients with preseptal cellulitis in patients with uncontrolled diabetes for intravenous antibiotics due to the potential for visual and cerebral complications.
Epsilon-and-mu-near-zero (EMNZ) metamaterial structure inspired UHF antenna for nanosatellite has been proposed in this paper. The antenna consists of 3 × 2-unit cell array on the ground plane and a meander line radiating patch. Coaxial probe feeding technique has been obtained to excite the antenna. The meander line enables the antenna to resonate at lower UHF band and the metamaterial array is used to make the resonant frequency stable by reducing the coupling effect with metallic nanosatellite structure. The metamaterial structure exhibits EMNZ characteristics from 385 MHz to 488.5 MHz, which facilitates stable resonant frequency and higher antenna efficiency when embedded with nanosatellite structure. The proposed EMNZ inspired antenna has achieved measured impedance bandwidth (S11 orbit nanosatellite communications.
Orbital fractures and the concomitant soft tissue injuries within the bony orbit result in well-recognized complications such as diplopia and enophthalmos. Guidelines for timing and indications for surgery for achieving an optimal outcome remain elusive. This study examined the effects of timing and fracture type on the outcome of orbital fracture repair.
A 24-year-old female complained of a 2-week history of fever and right-eye swelling. There was no ocular pain, blurring of vision, or history of prior trauma to the affected eye. On examination, she was febrile and not in respiratory distress. The right lower eyelid appeared swollen with skin erythema (Figure 1), while the visual acuity was normal. The white cell count was 14.8 × 103/μL (normal range = 4 – 10 × 103/μL). Her liver and renal function tests were within the normal range. The abdominal ultrasonography revealed multiple splenic microabscesses, while chest radiograph was normal. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the orbit showed a right lower eyelid abscess with extension into the right nasolacrimal duct (Figure 2). Incision and drainage of the eyelid abscess were performed and the culture of the pus, as well as the blood, yielded Burkholderia pseudomallei. She received intravenous ceftazidime 2 g every 8 hours for 4 weeks, followed by oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 20 weeks’ duration. The right eyelid abscess and splenic microabscesses resolved completely post-treatment. Please interpret the figures and suggest the provisional diagnosis.
This study documented details of the dentitions, skulls and other skeletal remains of Crocodylus porosus and Tomistoma schlegelii, from western part of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The remains of both reptiles were exhumed, followed by standard cleaning procedures and then detail morphological assessments were carried out accordingly. Both species show similar structure of vertebral columns, but T. schlegelii has the following unique structures: a long and narrower snout, D-shaped eye sockets, long and sharp pointed protruding quadratojugal bones, straight maxillae and dentary, a smooth surfaced skull, elongated triangular suborbital fenestrae, round shaped internal nares and visible supraoccipital from a dorsal view. C. porosus has heterodont dentition with blunt-pointed and irregular size of teeth whereas T. schlegelii has almost homodont dentition with sharp and similar size teeth. This is the first collection of teeth, skulls and other skeletal remains of both species obtained from Sarawak, and the materials have been used regularly to educate the public through science exhibitions, hoping they will spark the interests of young budding scientists to be involved in wildlife taphonomic studies in the future.