Anaerobic orbital cellulitis.

A 10-year-old boy with orbital cellulitis died seven weeks after admission to the hospital despite intensive surgical intervention and medical therapy. We isolated many anaerobic bacteria from the orbit, frontal sinus, and epidural space. Orbital cellulitis, which often occurs by direct extension from infected paranasal sinuses, commonly affects children and young adults, and is a potentially lethal disease, if left untreated. Heightened awareness of the role of anaerobes in chronic sinusitis and of the possibility of an anaerobic orbital cellulitis may lead to the identification of more cases. Penicillin G appears to be the first drug of choice in cases with suspected anaerobic orbital cellulitis. Chloramphenicol and clindamycin should be considered, if treatment with penicillin fails. Antibiotics alone should not be considered as a panacea, and surgical drainage is often the most compelling consideration.