Periorbital and facial cellulitis.

Periorbital cellulitis is a potentially lethal infection which must be rapidly distinguished from a host of self-limited illnesses. It is often associated with sepsis and requires intravenous antibiotics with broad initial coverage because of the wide variety of infecting organisms. A search must be made for an underlying source of the infection. Facial cellulitis is less frequently followed by major complications. It usually responds to oral antibiotics but also requires a careful search for the source of infection.