A case of orbital cellulitis due to bacteremia caused by oral Streptococcus pyogenes

Abstract

Orbital cellulitis is an infection of the soft tissues around the eye. It can cause ischemic optic neuropathy and central retinal artery occlusion due to compression of the optic nerve by swelling in the orbit. It requires emergency treatment due to the high risk of blindness. The majority of cases are caused by infection from festering lesions in adjacent tissues, such as sinusitis, and blood-borne infection from a remote site is rare. In this report, we present a rare case of orbital cellulitis with bacteremia caused by oral Streptococcus pyogenes in a patient with 8┘ periapical edentulism.