Trends in orbital cellulitis severity and management: 2016 through 2022

Purpose: To characterize trends in orbital cellulitis (OC) severity and management from 2016 through 2022, including assessment of effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a tertiary care center using an electronic medical record search of OC from January 1 2016 to January 1 2023. Radiography was used to categorize patients into three cohorts - OC without abscess, OC with subperiosteal abscess (SPA), and OC with orbital abscess (OA). Infection cohort and age group [pediatric (<9 years old), adolescent (9-18 years), adult (>18 years)] were compared across years. Subgroup analysis was performed in the SPA cohort. Comparisons were made between the time periods prior to and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: From 2016-2022, there were 247 (67.3%) cases of OC, 103 (28.1%) SPA, and 17 (4.6%) OA. The year 2022 incurred higher rates of SPA and OA (p = 0.035), pediatric infections (p = 0.008), and co-morbid sinusitis (p = 0.005) compared to all preceding years. Rates were similar from 2016 through 2021. Within the SPA cohort, rates of surgical intervention and outcomes were similar across all years. Rate of abscess formation was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic era (p = 0.033). Conclusion: The severity of OC leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared steady. After pandemic onset, a delayed increase in abscess formation, predominantly affecting pediatric patients and correlating with a greater rate of sinusitis, was observed in 2022.