A 72-year-old woman with periorbital swelling

Abstract

As allergists, we are frequently consulted to evaluate patients with swelling presumed to be angioedema. Patients with presumed angioedema can have multiple possible underlying triggers. We present the case of a hospitalized 72-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and metastatic chordoma who developed marked periorbital swelling that precluded eye opening 2 days after a neurosurgical operation (chordoma resection and T10-11 hardware repair). After a detailed evaluation of her swelling, a broad differential diagnosis was made; she did not respond to high-dose antihistamines, systemic steroids, icatibant and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor cessation. Ultimately, computed tomography imaging confirmed a specific diagnosis. The differential diagnosis for swelling is complex, and this case illustrated the importance of considering alternative causes of swelling when evaluating cases of possible angioedema.