Orbital apex disorders include three groups of disorders: orbital apex syndrome, superior orbital fissure syndrome and cavernous sinus syndrome.
The most common clinical features of a disease process in the orbital apex are blurred vision, retro-orbital pain and painful opthalmoplegia as well as proptosis.
These disorders are classified based on etiology into traumatic, infectious, inflammatory process neoplasms, vascular disorders and developmental causes.
Neuro-imaging is mandatory in patients with orbital apex syndrome. Brain and orbit MRI are the imaging modality of choice and should be performed with gadolinium in case of suspected inflammatory conditions like sarcoidosis. Tolosa Hunt Syndrome, nonspecific orbital inflammatory disease, also in neoplastic and traumatic conditions. MRI with fat suppression sequences is ideal for evaluating the orbital apex and cavernous sinus. Computed tomography (CT) can be helpful in bone assessment and when MRI is contraindicated.
AIMOF THE WORK:
The aim of this study was to assess the role of CT and MRI in evaluation of patients presenting with symptoms of orbital apex disorders.