The Outcome of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Orbital Apex Syndrome Secondary to Sinusitis in a Tertiary Care Center-Our Experience Over 10 Years

Abstract

Objective: Orbital apex syndrome (OAS) is a rare condition with multiple cranial nerve involvement caused by varied etiologies. It is not only a threat to the patient’s vision but also life-threatening due to the intracranial spread of infection, if not diagnosed early and treated accurately. To study the outcome of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for OAS secondary to sinusitis concerning resolution of ptosis, improvement of ophthalmoplegia, visual prognosis, intracranial spread of infection, and mortality. Methods: A retrospective review of patients with OAS secondary to sinusitis who underwent ESS from 2011 to 2021 was tabulated and analyzed. Results: Twenty-seven patients (mean age: 55.11+/-16 years; male 62%) were included in this study. At presentation, blurring of vision (81%), headache (66%), diplopia (63%) ptosis (63%) were the most common symptoms, and ophthalmoplegia (100%) was the most common sign. Five patients had no perception of light and the rest had various degrees of vision impairment. The most common etiopathology of sinusitis was fungal sinusitis (12 mucormycosis and four aspergillus). The final visual prognosis at three months follow-up post-ESS showed vision stabilization (no improvement or worsening) in 13 (48%) patients, improvement in seven (26%) patients, and vision deterioration in two (7%) patients. There was a significant improvement in ptosis (70%) and ophthalmoplegia (85%). There was no intracranial spread of infection or recurrence with a mortality rate of 3.7% (one patient). Conclusion: ESS coupled with appropriate antimicrobials effectively treats OAS secondary to sinusitis with decreased morbidity and mortality.

Keywords

• orbital apex syndrome
• sinusitis
• complication
• endoscopic sinus surgery
• mucormycosis
• ocular vision
• blepharoptosis
• ophthalmoplegia