Nontraumatic subperiosteal bilateral orbital hemorrhages after mitral valve repair

Nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhages (NTSOHs) are rare events, but pose a grave risk of vision loss and must be evaluated carefully for optic nerve compromise. To the author's knowledge, only 2 cases of NTSOH after cardiovascular procedures have been reported. The authors report a unique case of bilateral NTSOH with optic neuropathy that developed after cardiothoracic surgery and reaccumulated after orbitotomy. The case presentation conforms to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant. The etiology and management of this uncommon and dangerous entity will be discussed.