RESEARCH ARTICLE


The Importance of Clinicians Reviewing CT Scans in Suspected Lacrimal Gland Disease Causing Eyelid Swelling, Even if Radiologists Previously Interpreted them as Normal



George Voyatzis1, Chandrasekharan Chandrasekharan2, Ian Francis2, Raman Malhotra*, 1
1 Corneo Plastic Unit, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Holtye Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3DZ, UK
2 Radiology Department, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Holtye Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3DZ, UK


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Creative Commons License
© Voyatzis et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Corneo Plastic Unit, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Holtye Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3DZ, UK; Tel: 01342 4144560; Fax: 1342330363; E-mail: raman.malhotra@qvh.nhs.uk


Abstract

Purpose: To highlight the importance of deliberate evaluation of the lacrimal gland during routine orbital imaging by both radiologists and clinicians, which may avoid delays in diagnosis of eyelid swelling related to lacrimal gland disease.

Methods: We present four cases referred to a tertiary ophthalmic plastic and orbital centre for assessment of chronic upper eyelid swelling of unknown aetiology. All four cases had been investigated with orbital CT imaging, reported to be normal by consultant radiologists.

Results: Careful review of existing imaging provided valuable information concerning the lacrimal gland and helped identify a pathological cause in all four cases.

Conclusions: Lacrimal gland disease can be missed radiologically without evaluation of coronal as well as standard axial orbital imaging. Clear communication with the radiologist as well as personally reviewing scans can avoid such pitfalls.

Keywords: Lacrimal gland, orbital imaging, eyelid swelling.