Difficult case analysis: fever – proptosis – ocular pus overflow – sinus occupancy

  Brief introduction: The patient was admitted to the hospital on December 13, 2004 because he had been suffering from nasal discharge for 4 months, fever, swelling and pus in the eyes for 2 months, and the treatment at outside hospitals was ineffective. He was admitted to the hospital on December 12, 2004. Through our multidisciplinary collaboration, we cured the patient’s lesions and saved his bilateral eyes and vision.  The patient, male, 67 years old, was admitted to the hospital on December 13, 2004 because of 4 months of runny nose, fever and swollen and runny eye for 2 months.  In August 2004, the patient developed nasal congestion and yellow pus, which was heavier at night, without obvious headache, fever, cough, sore throat, or hematuria, and was not diagnosed and treated; on October 9, 2004, he developed fever with a temperature of 38℃, accompanied by chills, occasional nausea, vomiting of gastric contents, and pus, without symptoms such as headache, impaired body movement, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and urinary frequency and pain. He took azithromycin and ibuprofen (Enzycare) since then, and his body temperature fluctuated from 38 to 39℃, up to 40℃. 3 d later, he developed swelling and protrusion in the right eye, but there was no change in visual acuity at that time. He was treated with ceftriaxone (Rohypnol), ceftazidime and Tylenol at the local hospital for anti-infection, and his temperature dropped to normal after 1 week. At the beginning of November, pus appeared on the right eyelid, with no bad smell. On December 13, MR I showed bilateral intraorbital infectious lesions involving the inferior rectus muscle of the right eye, the right optic nerve, and the superior rectus muscle of the left eye; abnormal signal behind the right eyeball, considering granuloma The right eye had an abnormal signal behind the globe, which was considered as granulation formation; inflammation of the right maxillary sinus, septal sinus and pterygoid sinus (Figure 2).  The patient was admitted to our hospital on December 13, 2004 for further consultation. Based on the patient’s history, symptoms, signs, and ancillary examination data, the diagnosis of infection, tumor, inflammatory pseudotumor, and immune disorders (e.g., Wegener’s granuloma) was considered likely. On December 14, 2004, the patient underwent emergency nasal endoscopic resection of the right septal sinus, maxillary sinus opening, pterygoid sinus opening and orbital decompression under general anesthesia. On December 16, the patient underwent a right corneal transplantation under local anesthesia. The pathological findings of the sinus were: acute and chronic inflammation of the ciliated epithelial mucosa with pseudo-repeated layers, mucosal edema, and focal vascular hyperplasia in the septal sinus. After several reviews of the pathological sections and discussions, the pathological findings did not support the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, tumors, fungal diseases, tuberculosis and so on. The Department of Immunology believed that the diagnosis of infection should be considered first, and the current examination and pathology did not support the diagnosis of granulomatous lesions. On December 24, MRI revealed that the left upper eyelid abscess was connected to the orbit, and on the same day, local anesthesia was used to drain the left anterior orbital abscess and perform partial resection of the orbital abscess wall. After active drainage and anti-infection treatment, the patient’s symptoms were significantly relieved, with no fever, no eye distention, no headache, no nausea and vomiting. Body temperature was normal. From Dec. 20 to Jan. 1, 2005, the patient was treated with cefmetazole + bupropion, and was discharged on Jan. 11. The patient’s general condition is good and there is no recurrence of localized nasal and ocular disease.