A United States study has found children with dog bites are more likely to be injured in the head, neck, and periocular region than adults, recommending that health professionals should suspect injuries beyond eyelid laceration in any patient suffering from a dog bite to the periocular region.

The study authors also recommended careful attention to younger patients with these injuries, as they are more likely to have either infection or a concurrent orbital fracture.

The retrospective study reviewed 150 paediatric patients with a diagnosis of ‘dog bite’ at a tertiary referral centre in Texas.1

“Common injuries included eyelid lacerations (92.7%), canalicular lacerations (25.3%), brow lacerations (15.3%), and orbital fractures (12.0%).”

The study found patients who were aged ≤2 years were at greater risk of infection secondary to the initial injury (hazard ratio 1.12). Orbital fractures secondary to dog bite injuries were more common in younger patients (mean age 2.1 years).

“We demonstrate an increase in dog bites over time, with a spike in 2020. Most bites resulted from a familiar animal; the American Staffordshire terrier (Pitbull) was the most common known breed,” the study authors wrote.

Reference
1. Truong PN, Merlinsky EA, Williams KJ, et al. Characterization, epidemiology, and outcomes of periocular dog bites in children. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2025 Aug 29. doi: 10.1097/ IOP.0000000000003048. Epub ahead of print.