Postoperative myositis in reoperated extraocular muscles

PurposeTo report on a series of patients who developed orbital myositis following routine strabismus surgery.MethodsA retrospective medical record review of patients who developed myositis following routine strabismus surgery. Surgery was performed on all patients between 1998 and 2003 by a single pediatric ophthalmologist (SMA).ResultsFour patients developed orbital myositis following routine strabismus surgery. All four cases were reoperations. Symptoms of myositis developed at a mean of 21 days after surgery (range, 4-34). In the initial patient, the diagnosis of myositis was based on clinical and computed tomography findings. The clinical course of the three subsequent patients was similar to that of the radiologically confirmed case. In all cases, the diagnosis was supported by rapid resolution after treatment with systemic corticosteroids.ConclusionsOrbital myositis is a previously unreported complication of strabismus surgery. Reoperation appears to be a predisposing factor.