Complications of acute sinusitis in childhood

Abstract

Introduction: Acute sinusitis is inflammation of the mucosa that lines the perinasal sinuses and sometimes the underlying bone. The cause is obstruction of the drainage ostium, there is hypoxia, the vessels dilate and ooze a thickening fluid, stopping mucociliary activity and germs appear that increase inflammation. The proximity of these infectious and inflammatory processes to the papyraceous lamina, sometimes dehiscent, allows the arrival of secretions into the orbit, being the beginning of different ocular complications.

Objective: To describe the most frequent complications of a group of patients affected by acute sinusitis.

Methods: Observational, descriptive, longitudinal retrospective. The universe was patients admitted between January 2018 and December 2022, with complicated acute sinusitis. Of 123 patients, 34 were included.Results. The most frequent ages were from 0 to 1 year (44.1%), there were no differences between girls (52.9%) and boys (47.1%). The most frequent symptoms were nasal obstruction and secretion (94.1%) and increased volume of the eyelids (88.2%). The most frequent complication was periorbital cellulitis (91.2%) and computed tomography was the most useful study (44.1%). Ethmoid sinusitis (67.6%) was the most frequent. The most used antibiotic was tripamox (50%).

Conclusions: All patients recovered without ocular damage. Despite all the efforts, patients with acute sinusitis continue to get complicated, so the more that is known about them, the early diagnosis and treatment will ensure their good evolution and cure without regrettable sequelae.