Take Home Points
- Trauma resulting in a retrobulbar hemorrhage can lead to orbital compartment syndrome which is a vision threatening injury
- Diagnosis is made clinically based on the presence of an afferent pupillary defect, vision loss and an intraocular pressure > 40 mm Hg
- Treatment is with a lateral canthotomy – a simple but mentally daunting procedure
REBEL Core Cast 42.0 – Orbital Compartment Syndrome
Resources:
- EMRAP HD: How to Do a Lateral Canthotomy
- Vassallo S et al. Traumatic retrobulbar hemorrhage: emergent decompression by lateral canthotomy and cantholysis. J Emerg Med 2002; 22(3): 251-6. PMID: 11932087
- Rowh AD et al. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis: emergency management of orbital compartment syndrome. J Emerg Med 2015. 48(3):325-330. PMID: 25524455
- Larry Mellick: Emergency Lateral Canthotomy and Cantholysis
Post Peer Reviewed By: Salim R. Rezaie, MD (Twitter: @srrezaie)
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