Case of an Infant with Intermittent Eye Swelling

An eight-week-old infant presented to the emergency department with two weeks of fluctuating swelling and erythema of her right upper eyelid. On examination, she had swelling of the right upper eyelid with ptosis and proptosis as well as a nevus simplex on the upper eyelid. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a proliferating orbital hemangioma.

Periorbital erythema and swelling are often infectious or allergic, but in infants with a fluctuating course, underlying vascular malformation must be considered. Without early provider recognition, periocular hemangiomas have the potential to cause vision-related complications.