CT findings of orbital inflammatory diseases

Twenty-nine patients with orbital inflammatory disease (OIDs) were retrospectively reviewed in order to analyze detailed CT findings which might aid in differentiating OIDs. This study comprised 18 pseudotumors, 5 thyroid ophthalmopathies, and 6 cases of orbital cellulitis. CT scans of the pseudotumors showed various findings such as exophthalmos, scleritis, myositis of the extraocular muscle (MOM), and bone lesion. Bone lesions of the pseudo tumors, which have been rarely reported, were present in 7 cases in our series. Bilateral exophthalmos, myositis, and retrobulbar fat deposition were readily detected by CT in thyroid ophthalmopathy, and, in addition, we found bone erosions involving the orbital apices in 2 cases. In orbital cellulitis, extraorbital soft tissue swelling and lateral displacement of the medial rectus muscle in cases with ethmoiditis were the most conspicuous features. In summary, because of the overlapping CT findings in OIDs, careful examination of CT findings regarding the mode of EOM involvement and the presence or absence of scleritis or sinusitis might help narrow down the differential diagnosis. A pseudotumor with bone lesions could be mistaken as a malignant lesion, and therefore it is necessary to correlate clinical features with CT findings for an accurate diagnosis