Ann.Otol R1Jinol Lary1l6fJlI04:1996 INTRACRANIAL COMPLICATIONS OF SINUSITIS IN CHILDHOOD

Complications of sinusitis in children, such as intracranial abscess formation, are uncommon and are often clinically unremarkable incomparison to similardisease processes in adults. Between 1983 and 1991,443 children were admitted to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, for treatment of sinusitis. Fourteen of these children presented with intracranial extension of the infection and abscess formation. A retrospective review of these patients revealed that the risk of developing an intracranial abscess secondary to sinusitis was 3%. The management of these patients included surgical drainage of the infected sinuses and intracranial surgical exploration. Cranialization and exenteration of the frontal sinus proved to beeffective single-stage procedures. While not indicated in all patients, these procedures eliminated the sinus as a source of continued or potential infection and obviated the need for a second obliterative procedure. Combined antimicrobial therapy and surgical drainage should be the management protocol. KEY WORDS- complications, intracranial abscess, pediatric, sinusitis. bacteriologic study results, medical and surgical therapy, length ofhospitalization, and morbidity were reviewed and recorded