Emergency decompression of tension retrobulbar emphysema secondary to orbital floor fracture

Orbital floor fractures are generally the result of blowout orbital and may be associated with orbital emphysema leading to proptosis and even to loss of vision. A 49-year-old woman fractured the orbital floor in a fall. After blowing her nose, she developed exophthalmos and severe reduction in vision. She consulted our department and underwent emergency surgical management with orbital drainage. Decompression led to immediate resolution of the exophthalmos and postoperative improvement in visual acuity. Urgent decompression is indicated by the presence of proptosis, elevated intraocular pressure, and progressive loss of vision in cases of orbital trauma with additional emphysema. Surgical treatment of tension emphysema includes lateral canthotomy or cantholysis, needle aspiration, transconjunctival, or lateral blepharoplasty approach, and bone decompression depending on the severity of the case. Sneezing or blowing the nose can lead to proptosis and decreased visual acuity secondary to trauma to the orbit. Under such circumstances, emergency decompression is essential.