Complications of acute sinusitis in children

Acute sinusitis is often a mild, self-limiting disease. However, in some ca ses, especially among children, sinusitis may become a severe, even life-th reatening, disease. To examine the nature of complications of acute sinusit is, we studied the cases of children treated at the Helsinki University ENT Hospital, because of a complication caused by acute sinusitis from January 1997 to September 1998. There were 12 children (4 girls, 8 boys), whose ag es ranged from 16 months to 16 years. One child had an epidural abscess, on e got meningitis and cavernous sinus thrombosis, five had orbital celluliti s, one of whom lost her vision permanently in one eye, and five had presept al cellulitis. All the children were treated with intravenous antibiotics a nd all, except the youngest, were treated with a direct sinus puncture. An operation (intranasal antrostomy, orbital drainage, functional endoscopic s inus surgery or adenoidectomy) was performed on six patients. In the majori ty of children, acute sinusitis is a mild self-limiting disease. However, s evere complications still exist. When a complication of sinusitis is suspec ted, it is of utmost importance that the child be sent immediately to a hos pital for proper diagnosis and treatment.