Orbital hematoma secondary to endoscopic sinus surgery
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Keywords
Orbital hematoma, retrobulbar hematoma, endoscopic sinonasal surgery, late¬ral canthotomy, cantholysis
Abstract
During endoscopic sinonasal surgery, inadvertent section of the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) with retraction into the orbit is the usual mechanism of orbital hematoma (OH), leading to proptosis, pain, and potentially irreversible visual loss. Thirty minutes is suffi- cient for retinal ischemia and permanent visual loss. The explanation for blindness is due to increased intraorbital pressure. The treatment of iatrogenic HO must be quick and aggressi- ve, because if it is not managed in time, it can cause a permanent visual deficit. We present the case of a 72-year-old man with a diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps refractory to medical treatment who underwent nasal endoscopic surgery, evolving in the immediate postoperative period with an HO, requiring canthotomy - cantolysis and early surgical reintervention for endoscopic medial orbital decompression and vascular control of AEA. The patient evolves favorably, without visual deficit. This article will discuss the timely diagnosis and management of iatrogenic orbital hematoma.
