title: The ten-day mark as a practical diagnostic approach for acute paranasal sinusitis in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sinusitis is one of the diseases most frequently overlooked by the primary practitioner.
  
  
  METHODS
  We suspected the diagnosis of sinusitis in children with respiratory symptoms that persisted for > 10 days: the 10-day mark. A radiographic projection of maxillary sinuses (Water's view) was indicated, and patients with abnormal radiographs were diagnosed as having sinusitis. After antimicrobial treatment for 2 weeks, we evaluated clinical outcome and follow-up radiographs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10-day mark culled 146 suspected children from 2013 outpatients with respiratory complaints. Water's view radiographs revealed sinusitis in 135 patients (92.5% of the suspected children). They included 35 patients with allergy. After treatment only 4 patients in the allergy group (11%) improved completely. In contrast 61 nonallergic patients (61%) were completely improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 10-day mark is a simple and practical diagnostic basis for acute paranasal sinusitis. The associated allergic respiratory diseases respond infrequently to antimicrobial treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Higashi-Tokushukai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoto
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015523:Maxillary Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents