Bilateral orbital subperiosteal hemorrhage following labor

Abstract

A 27-year-old woman presented with 13 days of bilateral periorbital swelling, discomfort, and visual loss, which developed immediately after labor. She had significant blood loss requiring blood transfusion. There was bilateral proptosis, left optic neuropathy, and a superior visual hemifield defect in the left eye. MRI of the orbits showed bilateral superior subperiosteal hematomas. She underwent bilateral orbitotomy and drainage of subperiosteal hematomas. Six months later, complete resolution of proptosis with normal ocular motility and visual acuity was observed; however, there was persistence of a left relative afferent pupillary defect with superior visual field loss. This case report highlights the need for a high index of diagnostic suspicion of subperiosteal hematoma arising in a nontraumatic setting, such as in the peripartum period, and consideration for emergent surgical management of optic neuropathy.