Common causes of periorbital cellulitis?

• A. Sinusitis, trauma, skin break, systemic spread.
• B. Only viral infection.
• C. Allergic reaction.
• D. Chronic glaucoma.

Answer: (A)

Periorbital cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the eyelid and surrounding soft tissues that usually starts from a breach in the nearby barriers or by spreading from adjacent structures. The most common routes are spread from the paranasal sinuses—especially ethmoid sinusitis—into the periorbital area, direct inoculation after trauma or a skin break, and less commonly spread through the bloodstream from a systemic infection. Viral infection and allergic reactions don’t typically cause true bacterial cellulitis of the periorbital tissues, and chronic glaucoma is unrelated to this infectious process. So the combination of sinusitis, trauma with a skin break, and systemic spread best explains the common causes.