The orbit (eye socket) is a complex bony cavity housing the globe, six extraocular muscles, optic nerve, and lacrimal gland. Disease here can threaten both vision and life.
Non-infectious inflammation affecting the orbital tissues, ranging from self-limited to systemic disease.
Benign and malignant masses arising within or spreading into the orbit — diagnosis guides surgical approach.
Graves' orbitopathy — an autoimmune condition causing proptosis, diplopia, and sight-threatening optic nerve compression.
FDA-approved biologic therapy available:
Tepezza (teprotumumab) medication guide →Blowout fractures and orbital injuries — timely evaluation prevents long-term diplopia and enophthalmos.
These findings require same-day or emergency ophthalmologic evaluation. Do not wait for a routine appointment.
The adult orbit holds roughly 30 mL of tissue — fat, muscle, nerve, and globe
Roof (frontal bone), floor (maxilla/zygoma), medial (ethmoid/lacrimal), lateral (zygoma/sphenoid)
The orbital apex transmits the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery through the optic canal, plus cranial nerves III, IV, V1, and VI through the superior orbital fissure
Orbital fat cushions and supports the globe; loss (e.g. from aging or radiation) causes enophthalmos
Six extraocular muscles rotate the globe: four recti (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) and two obliques
The orbital septum divides preseptal from postseptal space — the critical divider in orbital vs. periorbital infection
For a full interactive anatomy guide, see the Orbital Anatomy page.
Schedule an evaluation with Karen L. Chapman, MD, FACS. Orbital conditions — from inflammation to tumors to fractures — are evaluated and treated here.
