Key Clinical Message:
Pre-septal cellulitis is a serious diagnosis that can progress to
post-septal cellulitis leading to grave consequences. Clinically, viral,
and bacterial cellulitis can be indistinguishable from each other. Using
rapid DNA/RNA sequencing can be helpful
Introduction :
Preseptal cellulitis is a soft tissue infection that develops secondary
to trauma, coryza or local skin inflammation. Infections are usually
bacterial with hemophilus influenzae, staphylococci, and streptococci
being the most common pathogens.1,2 Although viruses
are rarely implicated in the etiology, varicella is known to cause
preseptal cellulitis via an eyelid infection without prior respiratory
involvement. Rarely, adenovirus eye infections are complicated by bulbar
cellulitis. Herein, we present a case of a young man with an adenovirus
associated preseptal cellulitis diagnosed by pooled meta-genomic testing
and successfully treated with topical steroids.