Diagnosis and Management of Orbital Compartment Syndrome in Burn Patients-A Systematic Review

Orbital compartment syndrome is a poorly understood complication of acute burns. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the literature describing orbital compartment syndrome in patients with burns to provide greater detail on risk factors and guide the management of this morbid condition. A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed in June 2023 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study quality was assessed using 2 validated scoring systems. After removing duplicates, 303 unique articles were reviewed and 8 met the inclusion criteria. All publications were retrospective. Most studies considered intraocular pressure >30-40 mmHg as diagnostic for orbital compartment syndrome. In total, 60 unique cases of orbital compartment syndrome were reported. Orbital compartment syndrome occurred most frequently within 24 h postburn. The mean total body surface area of burn was 58.7%; the mean 24-h resuscitation volume was 6.01 cc/kg/%total burn surface area; and 86.5% of cases had periorbital burns. Surgical decompression always starts with lateral canthotomy. When pressures were not immediately reduced, cantholysis was performed. Study quality per median Newcastle-Ottawa Scores ranged from 38.9% to 94.4% (median 66.7%). A precise threshold for surgical decompression of orbital compartment syndrome remains conflicted; however, increased intraocular pressure > 30-40 mmHg warrants intervention. Burn surgeons/intensivists should be aware of the risk factors for this vision-threatening complication and act appropriately.