Otolaryngologists and orbital pseudotumor: A case report

Orbital pseudotumor (idiopathic orbital inflammation) is the third most common orbital disease, accounting for 5 to 6% of orbital disorders. It often presents in a manner very similar to inflammatory or neoplastic sinus disease. In addition, sinus disease is often a cause of orbital pseudotumor, although the etiology of this entity has yet to be defined. Treatment with steroids is usually successful early on, but long-term treatment-failure and recurrence rates are high. Despite otolaryngologists' intimate knowledge of sinus pathology, we have generally not been heavily involved in researching the causes and treatment of orbital pseudotumors. In this article, we report the case of an affected patient who presented with an orbital mass on radiography. The mass was likely the result of sinus disease in the setting of an untreated orbital floor fracture. We describe the clinical, radiographic, and operative features of this case, and we discuss the otolaryngologist's role in the management of orbital pseudotumors.