Video Author: François Simon

A 4 year-old boy presented to our tertiary center with acute left ethmoiditis and a subperiosteal orbital abscess. He presented with exophtalmia but had no visual impairment or limitation of ocular mobility.

CT-scan found a 8 mm large subperiosteal orbital abscess with no further complications.

Surgery was decided using a combined approach to drain the abscess and to obtain a bacterial sample: first external (incision in the inner canthus area) and then endonasal (functional endoscopic sinus surgery – FESS) to open the middle meatus and ethmoid.

External approach: 10 mm incision in the inner canthus region, elevation of the lamina papyracea periosteum until the abscess was reached. Rubber drain was put in place for irrigation.

Endonasal approach: after careful CT-scan examination, endonasal surgery was performed with a 30° rigid endoscope. The middle turbinate was medialised to expose the middle meatus, uncinectomy and antrostomy followed by anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy was performed.

Antibiotics were given intravenously for 5 days and saline irrigation on the drain was performed during 2 days. Patient was discharged after 5 days.