Subperiosteal Orbital Hematoma: Imaging Findings of a Rare Complication of Sickle Cell Disease

Subperiosteal orbital hematoma is a rare entity mainly seen in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease and occurs secondary to local vascular disturbances following facial bone infarction Sickle cell disease is the most common hemoglobinopathy. Homozygous patients are prone to vaso-occlusive crises. A 19-year-old male patient with the homozygous sickle cell trait was admitted to the hospital due to a sickle cell crisis. During his admission he developed a left periorbital edema. The diagnosis of a subperiosteal orbital hematoma (SOH) was made by CT and MRI imaging. SOH is a rare complication of a VOC. The clinical course is mostly self-resolving, with some cases reporting the need for surgical decompression when orbital compression  syndrome is clinically diagnosed. Differentiation between infection on imaging is necessary for further treatment. Published on 2019-06-28 10:13:49
Source: Journal of the Belgian Society of Radiology - Category: Radiology Source Type: research