Periorbital cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid or of the skin around the eye. It most commonly affects children under five years of age, though sometimes adults can suffer from it as well. Symptoms include redness, tenderness and swelling around the eye. The condition needs to be diagnosed and treated promptly by a doctor to make sure it is not a different and more serious condition, orbital cellulitis, and to prevent any complications. Periorbital cellulitis is not contagious.
Periorbital cellulitis symptoms
Both children and adults have similar symptoms, although children’s symptoms can be more dramatic and a bit more severe. The symptoms occur around one eye only. Here are some typical symptoms of periorbital cellulitis:
Pain and tenderness in or around the eye.
Swelling of the eyelid and the soft tissue surrounding the eye.
Soreness and tenderness in the nose area.
Redness and irritation around the eye and on the white of the eye.
A break in the skin through a cut, scratch or perhaps an insect bite near the eye.
Possibly a small bump on the eyelid called a stye or chalazion.
A fever (a temperature over 100 degrees).
A study published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that children under five were more likely to have had a localized infection (such as pink eye) before coming down with periorbital cellulitis. Older children were more likely to have had a cut, scratch or other injury prior to showing symptoms.
There is no pain with actual movement of the eye, and vision is normal. The infection in periorbital cellulitis does not spread into the eye itself, because the eye is protected by a layer of tissue called the septum, which separates the front part of the eye from the back part of the eye.
Periorbital cellulitis, however, can resemble a more serious infection called orbital cellulitis, in which infection actually penetrates into the eye. Your doctor can distinguish between the two. Periorbital cellulitis is nearly 10 times more common than orbital cellulitis.
Your doctor can also distinguish between periorbital cellulitis and other conditions, such as allergic reactions and conjunctivitis (or pink eye), which also have symptoms of swollen, tender, inflamed eyes.
Periorbital cellulitis causes
Periorbital cellulitis is caused by germs that enter the skin through a cut, scratch, sore, insect bite, dog bite, puncture wound or infected bump such as a stye. The germs can also come from a cold or sinus infection, which means that children who have frequent colds or sinusitis may be more susceptible to periorbital cellulitis. The germs can include common bacteria such as:
Staph infections, from staphylococcus bacteria. This germ is commonly found on the skin or even in the nose. Most of the time, these bacteria live on and in us and cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections.
MRSA, a type of staph infection that is more serious because it is resistant to many antibiotics.
Streptococcus bacteria, which often cause a strep throat.
The bacteria that commonly causes pneumonia.
Other infectious organisms such as viruses or fungus.
