INTRACRANIAL COMPLICATIONS OF SINUSITIS IN CHILDHOOD

Complications of sinusitis in children, such as intracranial abscess f ormation, are uncommon and are often clinically unremarkable in compar ison to similar disease processes in adults. Between 1983 and 1991, 44 3 children were admitted to Children's National Medical Center in Wash ington, DC, for treatment of sinusitis. Fourteen of these children pre sented with intracranial extension of the infection and abscess format ion. A retrospective review of these patients revealed that the risk o f developing an intracranial abscess secondary to sinusitis was 3%. Th e management of these patients included surgical drainage of the infec ted sinuses and intracranial surgical exploration. Cranialization and exenteration of the frontal sinus proved to be effective single-stage procedures. While not indicated in all patients, these procedures elim inated the sinus as a source of continued or potential infection and o bviated the need for a second obliterative procedure. Combined antimic robial therapy and surgical drainage should be the management protocol .