Endoscopic drainage of subperiosteal orbital abscesses

Surgical management is indicated in most cases of subperiosteal orbital abscesses (SPOA). The surgical objectives include drainage of the SPOA, drainage of offending sinuses, obtaining intraoperative cultures and, if necessary, decompression of one or more orbital walls. The transnasal endoscopic route offers significant advantages over traditional external approaches. This article describes the author's technique for draining medially and superiorly located subperiosteal orbital abscesses.