BACKGROUND: Orbital abscess is a severe infectious condition of the eye that can result in significant complications, including vision loss or fatality. Timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment of this condition are crucial.

CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old man with exophthalmos, diplopia, and decreased vision was admitted to our hospital. He had a history of chronic sinusitis. Ultrasonography showed a dark fluid area above the superior rectus muscle of the right eye, measuring approximately 5.7 ml. Orbital MRI revealed short T1 and long T2 signal shadows outside the upper muscle cone of the right orbit, with a size of about 13.2 ml. The right eyeball was compressed and moved forward, and the superior rectus muscle was also compressed. Long T2 signal shadows were observed in the right frontal sinus, maxillary sinus, and bilateral ethmoid sinuses, leading to a diagnosis of orbital subperiosteal abscess and sinusitis. We performed a fine-needle puncture and injection of antibiotics into the abscess cavity using a 5-ml syringe under the guidance of B-ultrasound. On the 7th day after surgery, the patient showed clinical improvement with decreased symptoms. His visual acuity improved from 20/40 to 20/20, and diplopia resolved. His sinusitis was treated with medication, and no recurrence of ocular symptoms was observed during the 3-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights the use of ultrasound-guided fine-needle puncture and injection of antibiotics into the abscess cavity for the treatment of an upper-quadrant orbital subperiosteal abscess. Timely surgical drainage and effective antibiotic therapy can help reduce the complications associated with orbital abscesses.

Keywords: Abscess, Sinusitis, Exophthalmos, Diplopia