Severe orbital infection as a complication of orbital fracture

Orbital fractures secondary to blunt trauma, and their complications, have been the subject of numerous reports, with little mention of an association with severe orbital infection. Conversely, studies of severe (postseptal) orbital infections rarely make reference to orbital fractures as being a significant pathogenetic factor. In a retrospective study of 130 orbital infections, three cases of severe orbital infection were identified as being associated with an orbital fracture, and are thus presented. In the literature, only anecdotal reports and inconclusive studies address this problem, and its possible prevention. The consequences of a pathologic communication between the paranasal sinuses and the orbit secondary to blunt facial trauma are discussed, along with recommendations for prophylactic management.