Fortyāone dogs were diagnosed with retrobulbar inflammation; of these, 23 presented with abscessation and two with zygomatic sialoadenitis.
Diagnosis was based on orbital ultrasound, MRI, CT and cytological and microbiological examination of fluid or tissue samples.
Management involved evacuation of fluid contents using ultrasoundāguided fineāneedle aspiration via the pterygopalatine fossa or orbitotomy.
Patients received systemic antibiotics (except for one with sialoadenitis), glucocorticoids, nonāsteroidal antiāinflammatory drugs, opioids and fluid therapy.
At initial presentation one or more ophthalmic complications were reported in 19 dogs (46%) including internal ophthalmoplegia (n=5), blindness due to optic nerve damage (n=5), facial nerve paralysis (n=3), prolapse of the third eyelid gland (n=3), corneal ulceration (n=8), anterior uveitis (n=4), chorioretinitis (n=3), retinal detachment (n=2) and increased intraocular pressure (n=7).
Information on ophthalmic complications after cessation of active inflammation was available for 33 patients.
One or more concurrent disease was found in 10 cases (30%): in addition to persistent neurological deficits and third eyelid gland prolapse reported at initial presentation, visual deficits after retinal reāattachment (n=2), loss of corneal sensation (n=1), corneal oedema (n=1), corneal fibrosis (n=4), corneal lipidosis (n=1) and strabismus after suspected fibrosis (n=2) were diagnosed.
Ophthalmic complications are common in patients with retrobulbar inflammation indicating that these patients should undergo ophthalmic assessment and followāup.
Source: M. C. Fischer A. M. Adrian J. Demetriou P. Nelissen C. Busse, Retrobulbar cellulitis and abscessation: focus on shortā and longāterm concurrent ophthalmic diseases in 41 dogs. JSAP, Early View. First published: 12 September 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.12924
|