Who Knew...

What is that? What happened to Ethan's eye? 

This is what I was wondering Thursday night when I noticed Ethan's eye looked swollen and really red.   He wasn't crying, but looked like his eye was bit by something making it puffy.
My good friend told me that her son once had what was called "periorbital cellulitis" ...  What, what is that I asked...  So I looked it up, and pictures.

Thinking this is what Ethan must have, I took him to our Pediatrician.  YUP, "Your son has "periorbital cellulitis" .. "you need to take him to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital."    

So, What is "periorbital cellulitis"?

Periorbital cellulitis is a serious but treatable infection of the tissues around the eye. It usually affects only one eye and doesn't travel to the other. Your baby won't be able to tell you if his eye hurts, but if his eyelid is swollen and red, call his doctor right away.

What causes it? 

 Most often, periorbital cellulitis happens when infection-causing bacteria (like staphylococcus or streptococcus) is introduced into the eyelid by a scratch, a bug bite, a sty, or a chalazion.

How is it evaluated and treated?

Depending on how bad the infection is, your baby's doctor may do blood work, cultures, or X-rays, or she may refer you to an ophthalmologist. If periorbital cellulitis is the diagnosis, don't be too alarmed — the condition is easily treated with medication and a few visits to the doctor. (Very small infants may require a special evaluation for infection and a short hospital stay.)

The doctor will probably put your child on oral antibiotics (she might even give him a dose by injection in the office). She'll want to follow his progress closely to make sure the drugs are working, so she'll probably have you schedule an appointment in the next day or two, depending on the severity of the case. She may also schedule a follow-up visit a week or two later, at which point the infection should be gone. It may clear up in as little as 48 hours.

Even if your baby's symptoms start to go away, make sure he completes the entire course of antibiotics, or the infection could resurface. In the meantime, the doctor may suggest you give your baby acetaminophen to take the edge off any pain and bring down any fever.

Are there any long-term effects?

In rare cases, untreated periorbital cellulitis can progress into orbital cellulitis, a serious eye condition that involves the eyeball itself and the structures within the orbit (the eye cavity or eye socket). This condition may affect your child's vision and ability to move his eye, and it usually causes the eye to bulge and sometimes even to swell shut. Orbital cellulitis requires immediate care — usually, imaging by CT scan or MRI and a hospital stay, so that antibiotics can be given intravenously. In some cases, surgery is necessary (to drain the sinuses, for example).

If untreated, orbital cellulitis can cause permanent vision problems, meningitis, or neurological problems in children. But if you follow through with the prescribed treatment and keep your follow-up appointments, this is highly unlikely. As with any illness, your best defense as a parent is to play it safe and call your doctor whenever you're concerned about your child's symptoms.

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If you think your child might have just a black eye, or a bump... go to your Doctor.  If my friend did not tell me about this, I would have NEVER have gone until it was to late...