Surgical management of canine refractory retrobulbar abscesses: six cases.

OBJECTIVE

To report the clinical presentation, surgical treatment and outcomes of dogs with retrobulbar abscesses refractory to intra-oral lancing and antibiotics.

METHODS

Medical records from January 2006 through September 2014 were reviewed and dogs with retrobulbar abscesses failing treatment with antibiotics and intra-oral lancing were included. Clinicopathologic, imaging and surgical details were extracted from the medical records. Referring veterinarians and owners were interviewed via telephone for follow-up data.

RESULTS

A total of six dogs were included in the study. The most common clinical signs were pain upon opening of the mouth, exophthalmos and prolapsed nictitans. Computed tomography was performed in five dogs, ultrasound in four and magnetic resonance imaging in one. Imaging identified an abscess in all dogs, with a suspected foreign body in four dogs. Surgical approach was a modified lateral orbitotomy in five dogs. No foreign body was identified during surgery in all dog. All dogs surviving to discharge did not have recurrence of clinical signs (follow-up time range: 27 to 95 months).

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Dogs with retrobulbar abscesses refractory to standard therapy can experience long-term resolution of clinical signs with surgical treatment, most commonly via a modified lateral orbitotomy.