Unilateral blindness in a child with acute sinusitis

Orbital infection in association with sinusitis is an emergency It may caus e visual disturbances, and in rare cases even permanent blindness by affect ing the optic nerve. We report an unusual case of acute sinusitis that was complicated by irreversible visual loss in a young patient. As there is inc reasing evidence that respiratory viruses play an important role in the pat hogenesis of acute community acquired sinusitis and spontaneous healing wit h only symptomatic treatment is common, the use of antibiotics in the treat ment of acute sinusitis may not be needed in all cases. If the general poli cy to use antibiotics in acute sinusitis will be changed to more restrained and expectant, we have to be even more aware of these nowadays rare compli cations.