orbital cellulitis /penny

[Guest guest]

is this usually from lyme? it mentions bug bites at the end

how to get diagnosed and treated, does it show up on scans or swabs

cellulitis, orbital and periorbital

These terms refer to bacterial infection of the tissue layers under

the skin (cellulitis) around the eye - periorbital cellulitis - and

sometimes in the deeper structures around and behind the eyeball -

orbital cellulitis.

The terminology of orbital and periorbital has been clarified by the

more specific reclassification of these infections into pre-septal and

post-septal categories, based on where around the eye they occur. The

septum is a seal that circles the globe of the eye, separating the

mucous membranes of the lids and the schlera (white covering of the

eyeball) from the deeper attachments of the eye muscles. The orbital

septum is a watershed divide that determines which way the veins drain

- directly back to the body circulation through facial veins or into

the brain area (intracranial cavity). Because of anatomic factors

discussed below, cellulitis of the eye region is referred to as either

pre-septal or post-septal.

So-called preseptal (or periorbital - " around the eye " ) cellulitis is

a bacterial inflammation of the tissues around around the eye and

eyelid. This infection produces marked swelling and tender redness

around the eye, but there are no signs of limitation of movement of

the eye. Preseptal or periorbital cellulitis is much less serious than

its postseptal counterpart, and is much more common.

True orbital cellulitis (post-septal, behind the septum) is a very

dangerous infection because germs have direct access to the brain

through the veins that drain the eye region. Entry of bacteria into

the brain and spinal fluid system would result in dangerous bacterial

meningitis. Ophthalmoplegia - limitation of the movements of the eye -

is the frightening hallmark of this infection.

Because of the danger of developing into widespread blood-born or

central nervous system infections, infections around the eye are often

treated intravenously in the hospital. True orbital cellulitis

requires very aggressive intravenous antibiotic therapy, and generally

speaking, only the milder periorbital (preseptal) infections are

treated orally.

The spectrum of causative germs for orbital and preseptal cellulitis

has changed radically in recent years. Orbital cellulitis infections

used to be classically caused by Hemophilus influenza type B, as a

complication of a sinus infection with the Hemophilus bacterium,

whereas preseptal or periorbital cellulitis was classically a strep or

staph infection as a complication of a bug bite. Hemophilus infection

has disappeared with the H. influenza vaccine (HiB). Now the

predominant causative germs for both pre- and post-septal cellulitis

are Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species.

amy

[Guest guest]

Can be all kinds of things. This article primarily associates the bug bites with staph infection, which makes total sense to me (staph can be carried by mosquitos, just like lyme can), but it also mentions viruses and could really be any kind of bug that manages to take hold in your body. Unfortunately for us, our sinuses are very convenient entry points for bugs. This is timely for me as well, as my daughter's eye has been watering non-stop for about a week now. I've been telling her she's probably got an infection, but she's been doing her own research and considering other possibilities based on conventional thought of allergies, etc. Anyway, she finally found her own info on the link between the eye watering and infection of the sinuses and tear ducts. Although we're already planning to go to the doctor on monday (since eye infections can be dangerous) she finally couldn't take it anymore and

took one of the zillion broad spectrum abx I have around here. Sure enough, eye watering started reducing almost immediately and what do you know, her sinuses suddenly started acting up like crazy, while there seemed to be no involvement at all before! Her sinuses are definitely in whatever is causing her eye to water and fortunately she's definitely responding to the abx. I am convinced that ALL of this stuff is related to infections getting into our head & neck regions and it drives me crazy that the medical world is so lax in it's recognition of the problem. My daughter's college psych teacher believes that numerous diseases, including psychiatric ones, are caused by bacteria. When the HELL are other people going to figure this out????!!!!! penny amydent9

<amydent9@...> wrote: is this usually from lyme? it mentions bug bites at the endhow to get diagnosed and treated, does it show up on scans or swabscellulitis, orbital and periorbitalThese terms refer to bacterial infection of the tissue layers underthe skin (cellulitis) around the eye - periorbital cellulitis - andsometimes in the deeper structures around and behind the eyeball -orbital cellulitis.The terminology of orbital and periorbital has been clarified by themore specific reclassification of

these infections into pre-septal andpost-septal categories, based on where around the eye they occur. Theseptum is a seal that circles the globe of the eye, separating themucous membranes of the lids and the schlera (white covering of theeyeball) from the deeper attachments of the eye muscles. The orbitalseptum is a watershed divide that determines which way the veins drain- directly back to the body circulation through facial veins or intothe brain area (intracranial cavity). Because of anatomic factorsdiscussed below, cellulitis of the eye region is referred to as eitherpre-septal or post-septal.So-called preseptal (or periorbital - "around the eye") cellulitis isa bacterial inflammation of the tissues around around the eye andeyelid. This infection produces marked swelling and tender rednessaround the eye, but there are no signs of limitation of movement ofthe eye. Preseptal or periorbital cellulitis is much

less serious thanits postseptal counterpart, and is much more common.True orbital cellulitis (post-septal, behind the septum) is a verydangerous infection because germs have direct access to the brainthrough the veins that drain the eye region. Entry of bacteria intothe brain and spinal fluid system would result in dangerous bacterialmeningitis. Ophthalmoplegia - limitation of the movements of the eye -is the frightening hallmark of this infection.Because of the danger of developing into widespread blood-born orcentral nervous system infections, infections around the eye are oftentreated intravenously in the hospital. True orbital cellulitisrequires very aggressive intravenous antibiotic therapy, and generallyspeaking, only the milder periorbital (preseptal) infections aretreated orally.The spectrum of causative germs for orbital and preseptal cellulitishas changed radically in recent years. Orbital

cellulitis infectionsused to be classically caused by Hemophilus influenza type B, as acomplication of a sinus infection with the Hemophilus bacterium,whereas preseptal or periorbital cellulitis was classically a strep orstaph infection as a complication of a bug bite. Hemophilus infectionhas disappeared with the H. influenza vaccine (HiB). Now thepredominant causative germs for both pre- and post-septal cellulitisare Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species. amy