Pott's puffy tumor

• Published in: The Journal of craniofacial surgery Vol. 19; no. 6; p. 1694
• Main Authors: Karaman, Emin, Hacizade, Yusif, Isildak, Huseyin, Kaytaz, Asim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2008
• Subjects: Abscess - diagnosis; Bone Diseases - microbiology; Child; Female; Frontal Bone - microbiology; Frontal Sinusitis - microbiology; Humans; Maxillary Sinusitis - microbiology; Nose Diseases - microbiology; Orbital Diseases - microbiology; Osteomyelitis - microbiology; Streptococcal Infections - diagnosis; Streptococcus milleri Group - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1536-3732
• DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0b013e31818b432e

Pott's Puffy tumor is a rare clinical entity characterized by subperiosteal abscess associated with osteomyelitis. It is usually seen as a complication of frontal sinusitis or trauma predominantly in the adolescent age group. Pott's Puffy tumor can be associated with cortical vein thrombosis, epidural abscess, subdural empyema, and brain abscess. The cause of vein thrombosis is explained by venous derange of the frontal sinus, which occurs through diplopic veins, which communicate with the dural venous plexus; septic thrombi can potentially evolve from foci within the frontal sinus and propagate through this venous system. An apparently healthy 7-year-old girl presented to the emergency service of otolaryngology with complaints of swelling of forehead and periorbital zone, headache, chills, fever, and rhinorrhea. The patient described in this case report had 2 important complications of paranasal sinus disease: the relatively common complication of postseptal cellulites and the less common complication of Pott's Puffy tumor.