Orbital infections in the immunocompromised patient.

In humans, a variety of immunodeficiency states have been recognized whereby infectious agents gain access to the body and produce disease. The orbit may become involved following injury or surgery, through spread of infection from surrounding structures, or by metastatic seeding from a distant source. Orbital infections associated with immunodeficiency represent a special problem in diagnosis and management for the ophthalmologist. Twenty-four patients with immunodeficiency-associated orbital infections who illustrate a wide range of factors associated with immunodeficiency, agents that produce infection, ophthalmic signs that result, and effects of antimicrobial therapy are presented.