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Orbital subperiosteal hematoma from scuba diving
Clark Rosenberry1, Matthew Angelidis, Diane Devita
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington, USA. crosenberry04@jcu.edu
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine
|September 14, 2010
Summary
Scuba diving can cause rare orbital subperiosteal hematomas due to mask pressure. Surgical intervention was necessary in this unique case to prevent vision loss.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Diving Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Nontraumatic orbital subperiosteal hematoma is a rare condition.
- Scuba diving is an infrequent cause of this hematoma.
- Previous cases have not required surgical intervention.
Observation:
- This report details the first case of nontraumatic orbital subperiosteal hematoma from scuba diving requiring surgery.
- The injury mechanism involves negative mask pressure or the Valsalva maneuver during descent.
- The patient presented with worsening symptoms necessitating surgical intervention.
Findings:
- Surgical intervention was successfully performed.
- Early recognition is crucial to prevent complications like optic nerve compression and vision loss.
- Conservative management is typically sufficient, but this case demonstrated the need for surgical intervention.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of recognizing and managing orbital subperiosteal hematomas in scuba divers.
- Divers should practice frequent and gentle mask pressure equilibration to prevent this injury.
- Ophthalmologists and emergency physicians should consider scuba diving as a potential cause in relevant cases.
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