Suppurative intracranial complications of sinusitis in children.

OBJECTIVE: A review of suppurative intracranial complications of sinusitis in children.

METHODS: Case series review over a two-year period from 1998 to 1999 in a children's hospital, Singapore.

RESULTS: There were seven cases, all male, and age range 9 to 14. Six had subdural empyemas and one had meningitis. The most common presenting symptoms included fever, headache and vomiting. Sinusitis was suspected as the cause in only one patient initially. The intracranial infections were not apparent from the initial brain CT of two patients and were only confirmed later on repeated imaging. Four patients had lumbar punctures without any adverse effects. All seven children had infections involving the frontal, ethmoid and maxillary sinuses and two also had sphenoid involvements. All were treated with high-dose intravenous antibiotics together with drainage of both the intracranial (n=six) and sinus (n=seven) suppurations. Five needed repeated intracranial drainages. Streptococcus species were isolated in five cases. Three patients developed seizures post-operatively which resolved on follow-up. One patient needed a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus. All patients had a good Glasgow Outcome Score. The hospital stay ranged from 30 to 89 days with a median of 43 days.

CONCLUSIONS: Only males were identified in this review, collaborating the feeling that teenage males are at greatest risk of developing intracranial infections from sinusitis. We recommend that radiologic imaging of the brain for suspected intracranial infection should always include the sinuses as this aids early identification of actual cause. Initial CT imaging may be negative and hence repeated scans are warranted if the index of suspicion is high. The successful outcome of the children in this series supports the opinion that combined aggressive surgical and medical treatment is preferable in this patient population.