Clinical characteristics, histopathology, and treatment outcomes in adult and pediatric patients with nonspecific orbital inflammation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, histopathology, and treatment outcomes in adult and pediatric patients with nonspecific orbital inflammation (NSOI). METHODS: This retrospective study evaluates 76 patients with NSOI. The patients were categorized in 9 groups according to the site of involvement and histopathology results. These groups included: anterior involvement, dacryoadenitis, myositis, perineural involvement, acute fat involvement, focal mass, orbital apex involvement, diffuse sclerosing form, and multiple tissue involvement. The course of the disease was categorized as acute, subacute, or chronic. The cases with symptom duration of less than 1 week were classified as acute, 1 week to 1 month as subacute, and more than 1 month as chronic. RESULTS: 36 (47.4%) patients were males. The mean age was 41.68 ± 17.62 (6–75) years. The most common signs and symptoms were periorbital pain, periorbital edema, decreased ocular movements or diplopia, and conjunctival injection. The most common group was dacryoadenitis in 29 (38.1%) cases. The most common form of disease was the acute involvement (50% of patients). Most of the patients were treated by oral corticosteroids. Duration of follow-up was 7.17 ± 6.26 months. Recurrence occurred in 9 (11.8%) of patients during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a new categorization in which multiple tissue involvements were separated. Some of the NSOI features differ between adults and children. In most patients, treatment especially with corticosteroids, resolves the clinical findings.