Date of Presentation

5-5-2022 12:00 AM

College

School of Osteopathic Medicine

Poster Abstract

Acute sinusitis in the pediatric population is a common presentation in the emergency department. Most cases are viral and can be managed conservatively and will resolve spontaneously in 7-10 days. Even in cases of bacterial sinusitis, patients can typically be discharged with oral antibiotics and close follow up with the pediatrician.

There is however a small subset of patients who will develop a rare lethal complication, an intracranial empyema. While the incidence in the developed world has decreased as antibiotics become more available, it is still estimated to occur in up to 5% of severe cases requiring hospitalization (1) . In this case report we present a 12 year old female who initially presented with viral upper respiratory symptoms that then was found to have a complex intracranial empyema as a direct complication of bacterial sinusitis.

Keywords

sinusitis, empyema, bacterial infections, Respiratory Tract Infections, subdural empyema, case reports, pediatrics

Disciplines

Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Infectious Disease | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases | Neurology | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Pediatrics | Respiratory Tract Diseases

Document Type

Poster

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May 5th, 12:00 AM

A Case of Intracranial Empyema after Bacterial Sinusitis

Acute sinusitis in the pediatric population is a common presentation in the emergency department. Most cases are viral and can be managed conservatively and will resolve spontaneously in 7-10 days. Even in cases of bacterial sinusitis, patients can typically be discharged with oral antibiotics and close follow up with the pediatrician.

There is however a small subset of patients who will develop a rare lethal complication, an intracranial empyema. While the incidence in the developed world has decreased as antibiotics become more available, it is still estimated to occur in up to 5% of severe cases requiring hospitalization (1) . In this case report we present a 12 year old female who initially presented with viral upper respiratory symptoms that then was found to have a complex intracranial empyema as a direct complication of bacterial sinusitis.

 

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