Differentiation of orbital cellulitis from preseptal cellulitis by computed tomography.

Computed tomography (CT) was used in the management of four patients with periorbital inflammation. These patients were selected for CT scanning because of the difficulty, on clinical examination alone, in determining the degree of orbital disease. The CT scans confirmed the presence and defined the location of an orbital abscess in three patients and eliminated the presence of an abscess in the fourth. On the basis of this experience, CT scanning is recommended in the evaluation of children with periorbital inflammation in whom proptosis, ophthalmoplegia, or loss of visual acuity develops, or in whom severe eyelid edema prevents adequate eye examination.