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Transorbital craniocerebral occult penetrating injury with cerebral abscess complication

Arif Abdulbaki1, Faisal Al-Otaibi, Amal Almalki

  • 1Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.

Case Reports in Ophthalmological Medicine
|October 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Occult transorbital penetrating injuries, like a retained pen tip, can lead to serious brain infections. Early orbitocranial imaging is crucial for diagnosing these rare head injuries.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Transorbital intracranial penetrating injuries are rare but can be missed initially.
  • These injuries pose a risk of developing severe intracranial cerebral infections.
  • Prompt diagnosis and management are critical for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a case of a pediatric patient with an occult transorbital penetrating injury.
  • To highlight the diagnostic challenges and potential complications of such injuries.
  • To emphasize the importance of orbitocranial imaging in suspected cases.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a 5-year-old child with a retained pen tip causing intracranial injury.
  • Clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, and management of the cerebral abscess.
  • Literature review on the relationship between penetrating injury characteristics and infection sites.

Main Results:

  • A retained pen tip at the superior orbital roof was initially missed.
  • The patient developed a right frontal lobe cerebral abscess.
  • Literature review correlated injury routes with intracranial infection locations.

Conclusions:

  • Occult transorbital penetrating injuries require high clinical suspicion.
  • Orbitocranial imaging is essential for detecting retained foreign bodies and intracranial complications.
  • Early identification and treatment are vital to prevent severe neurological sequelae.

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