The Role of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Children Undergoing External Drainage of Non-Medial Subperiosteal Orbital Abscess

Abstract

Background The extent of surgery required in the management of pediatric non-medial subperiosteal orbital abscess (SPOA) due to medically refractory complicated acute sinusitis is unknown. Objectives The primary objective is to compare operative outcomes of children treated with combined endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and external orbital drainage (EOD) versus those treated with EOD alone. Methods Retrospective case series from a tertiary children’s hospital analyzing outcomes in children requiring surgical management for acute sinusitis complicated by non-medial SPOA between November 2007 and September 2019. Results Sixteen children with a mean age of 9.4 years (95% CI: 7.3–11.4) met inclusion. Eleven (68.8%) underwent combined EOD and ESS, while five (31.2%) underwent EOD alone. Groups were similar in age, symptom duration, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, intraocular pressure, Lund-Mackay score, and abscess volume. There was no significant difference in median length of stay between patients treated with a combined approach versus those treated by EOD alone. Cultures identified non-beta-hemolytic Streptococcus species in 56.3% of patients, with Streptococcus intermedius representing the most common organism in 37.5%. In one case, ESS identified a pathogen not acquired via concomitant EOD, which did influence management. No child required a subsequent surgical procedure and there were no operative complications. Conclusions The addition of ESS in the management of pediatric non-medial SPOA was not associated with a statistically different duration of hospitalization. Cultures from concomitant ESS rarely aided in diagnosis or antibiotic therapy. Further study should delineate the indications for ESS in these cases.