Orbital cellulitis and preseptal cellulitis in childhood.

A study was made of 112 children with preseptal cellulitis, orbital cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess, and orbital abscess. These were consecutive admissions to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney, during the period June 1976 to August 1985. The average age was 3 years 6 months. The clinical and radiological signs for each group were defined. Of the 112 children, 43.8% (with an average age of 3 years 3 months) had a clinical history of an upper respiratory tract infection. Trauma was a factor in 13.4% of patients. Haemophilus influenzae was recovered from blood culture in two patients and from conjunctival culture in seven patients. The average age of this group was 3 years 7 months. Plain radiographs taken of 53 patients revealed evidence of paranasal sinus disease in 29 (54.7%). Computerized tomography was performed in 14 patients. Of seven patients requiring surgical drainage of orbital or subperiosteal abscess (average age 7 years 2 months), five had clinical upper respiratory tract infection.