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Clinical Specialties
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Orbital Abscess

DEFINITION

An orbital abscess is a collection of bacteria and pus located behind the eye in the orifice of the skull called the orbit. Several minimally invasive endoscopic procedures offered for eye related diseases of the nose and sinuses. Patients with Graves' disease can often experience proptosis or bulging of the eyes. This cosmetic defect can be improved by minimally invasive endoscopic orbital decompression through the nose and sinuses. Other patient's may suffer from loss of vision due to pressure on the optic nerve due to a variety of reasons, some of which include trauma, sinus tumor, or sinus disease including orbital abscess.

SYMPTOMS
Eye pain, bulging of the eye, redness of the eye, changes in vision, fever

DIAGNOSIS
Your doctor will first take a history and perform a physical exam, especially focused on the eye and orbit. Your doctor will want to check some blood tests including some cultures for bacteria. Your doctor will also probably want to take pictures of the orbit with either a CT scan or MRI to determine the cause of your symptoms and locate the abscess if you have one.

TREATMENT
You will likely need antibiotics for your infection. If you have an abscess, however, it usually needs to be drained. An Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor can do a minimally invasive approach to the orbit to drain the abscess both for symptoms as well as to help treat the infection. Abscesses or pockets of pus around the eye can often be drained through the nose, a natural opening.

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