Ophthalmic complications of dental anesthesia: three new cases.

Two patients had ipsilateral optic neuropathy and one patient had an ipsilateral abduction deficit and a dilated, poorly reactive pupil immediately after anesthesia of upper alveolar teeth. In one patient with optic neuropathy, the optic disc was not swollen, brain and orbit computed tomography (CT) was negative, and vision recovered completely within 2 weeks. In the other patient with optic neuropathy, the optic disc was swollen, brain and orbit CT were negative, and vision did not recover. In the patient with ductional and pupil deficits, recovery was complete within 24 hours. Since 1960, 39 cases of ophthalmic complications have been reported in the English literature. A majority have followed anesthesia of upper alveolar teeth. In all but three cases, the deficits were temporary. Diffusion, inadvertent needle penetration into the orbit, venous injection, or retrograde arterial injection is postulated as the mechanism by which the anesthetic agent reaches the cavernous sinus or orbit to cause the deficits.