title: [Papilledema and acute bilateral amaurosis accompanying acute sinusitis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute sinusitis can lead to severe complications. This includes involvement of the optical nerve with visual loss and brain abscess as a life-threatening complication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Empyema of the chiasma opticum region with neuritis nervi optici and bilateral acute amaurosis was observed in a 13 year old boy with sinusitis sphenoidalis and ethmoidalis. In a 11 year old girl, pronounced papilledema was found to be closely associated with sinusitis sphenoidalis. While she recovered completely on appropriate antibiotic therapy, visual loss in the boy was irreversible despite surgical intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sinusitis should always be considered in patients with impaired vision, neuritis nervi optici or unexplained papilledema, especially if occurring in association with an upper respiratory infection. In addition to physical examination, cranial computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain including sinuses and chiasma opticum should be applied early. If empyema is found, immediate surgical intervention is of prognostic importance.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jüngert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uberall
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guggenbichler
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heininger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D004653:Empyema / Q000175:diagnosis; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D015521:Ethmoid Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D010211:Papilledema / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D015524:Sphenoid Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology