title: Subperiosteal abscesses of the orbit due to sinusitis in childhood.
abstract: This paper reports 16 cases of subperiosteal abscesses of the orbit due to acute sinusitis in childhood. They comprise 12.4% of 129 patients presenting with an 'acute orbit'. Acute ethmoidal sinusitis was the predominant cause. The typical clinical features, as well as CT scanning of the paranasal sinuses, orbit and brain, should assist in early diagnosis. If possible, the subperiosteal abscess and sinuses should be drained before loss of visual acuity or intracranial complications occur. Streptococcus milleri was the pathogen most commonly cultured. One patient in this series had intracranial complications, but no other patients had major complications and there were no deaths.
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015521:Ethmoid Sinusitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D010521:Periosteum; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents