Subperiosteal orbital hematoma: Imaging findings of a rare complication of sickle cell disease

Abstract

Sickle cell disease is the most common hemoglobinopathy. Homozygous patients are prone to vaso-occlusive crises. A 19-year-old male patient with the homozygous sickle cell trait was admitted to the hospital due to a sickle cell crisis. During his admission he developed a left periorbital edema. The diagnosis of a subperiosteal orbital hematoma (SOH) was made by CT and MRI imaging. SOH is a rare complication of a VOC. The clinical course is mostly self-resolving, with some cases reporting the need for surgical decompression when orbital compression syndrome is clinically diagnosed. Differentiation between infection on imaging is necessary for further treatment.