Correlation of imaging and intraoperative findings in Pott's puffy tumour.

INTRODUCTION: Pott's puffy tumour is characterised by frontal bone osteomyelitis accompanied by subperiosteal abscess. It can be further complicated by intracranial extension of the infectious process. CASE PRESENTATION: A 12-year-old boy initially presented with signs and imaging findings of pan-sinusitis. Despite antibiotic therapy, there was progressive swelling of the forehead region. Subsequent imaging studies revealed osteomyelitis of frontal bone, subcutaneous abscess and extension into intracranial space. The abscesses were surgically drained, and craniectomy for osteomyelitis was carried out. CONCLUSION: The initial symptoms of Pott's puffy tumour can be subtle, and antibiotic use may mask the underlying sinister involvement of intracranial structures. Imaging plays an important role both in diagnosis and detection of possible intracranial complications.

Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis Mimicking a Pott Puffy Tumor.

Langherans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease mostly affecting children in the first decade of life. As clinical presentation is extremely heterogenous, a prompt diagnosis may be challenging, sometimes leading to a diagnostic delay, especially when the disease involves a single site. Herein, we report a case of a child with an unusual presentation of (LCH) mimicking a Pott puffy tumor with extracranial and epidural abscesses, surgically treated. Through this unique case we summarize possible manifestations of LCH with bone involvement and we underline the importance of considering possible complications due to bone erosions such as infection, to avoid a misdiagnosis.

Pott's Puffy Tumor in an Adult: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Pott's puffy tumor is a subperiosteal abscess of the frontal bone with osteomyelitis which has become rare because of the widespread use of antibiotics. Here, we report a case of Pott's puffy tumor in a 46-year-old man who visited the department of dermatology with painful swelling of the forehead. Despite open drainage and oral antibiotic therapy, the symptoms recurred twice in the following month. Computed tomography revealed a fistula of frontal bone. The eventual diagnosis was Pott's puffy tumor. The patient underwent endoscopic surgery at the department of otorhinolaryngology and achieved a complete recovery.

Proposal for staging of inflammatory lesions in the frontal region. / Propuesta de estadificación de las lesiones inflamatorias de la región frontal.

Frontal swelling can be due to multiple etiologies, including: mucocele, Pott's puffy tumor, fibro osseous lesions, benign and malignant neoplasms of the nose and paranasal sinuses, intracranial lesions, and metastasis. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical protocol used for the diagnosis of patients presented with frontal swelling and the proposal for staging of inflammatory lesions. We performed an observational retrospective analysis. We found 7 cases of patients with frontal swelling: 4 cases secondary to inflammatory pathology (3 Potts puffy tumors and one frontal mucocele), and 3 cases secondary to neoplasms (one benign and 2 malignant neoplasms). It's very important to consider the wide differential diagnosis that can present as frontal swelling, from inflammatory pathologies secondary to possible advanced infections of the paranasal sinuses to invasive malignant neoplasms. We propose a system of staging of frontal inflammatory lesions.

[Pott's puffy tumour is a rare complication of sinusitis].

Pott's puffy tumour is a well known but rare complication of frontal sinusitis or trauma. It was first described by Sir Percivall Pott in 1768. Pott's puffy tumour is characterized by subperio-steal abscess associated with osteomyelitis. This report presents a 43-year-old patient with schizophrenia who developed Pott's puffy tumour due to lack of sufficient treatment of sinusitis. Furthermore, the literature on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, microbiology, treatment, and complications of Pott's puffy tumour is reviewed.

Unilateral non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the frontal sinus presenting as Pott's puffy tumour.

Malignant lymphoma of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity is very rare and can mimic those of infectious, non-lymphomatous neoplastic and granulomatous process in their initial presentation, thus delaying its diagnosis. This report describes a case of unilateral frontal sinus B-cell lymphoma presenting as Pott's puffy tumour. Key features to differentiate the two conditions are discussed. A 61-year-old woman presented with 4 weeks history of a gradually enlarging right-sided forehead swelling, which was smooth and firm with no tenderness, fluctuation or overlying skin changes. Initial computed tomography (CT) of the paranasal sinuses revealed a mildly opacified right frontal sinus with an overlying soft tissue swelling. A repeat CT scan one week later showed evidence of osteomyelitis of the medial wall of the right frontal bone and orbit, suggesting diagnosis of Pott's puffy tumour. A third CT scan was performed as the swelling continued to enlarge despite antibiotics, which demonstrated a collection over the frontal sinus. No pus was found from a frontal sinus trephine. Histopathologic analysis of the frontal sinus biopsy showed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient was treated successfully with 6 cycles of chemotherapy. In conclusion, it is not easy to differentiate Pott's puffy tumour from frontal sinus lymphoma at their initial presentation. With clearer understanding of both conditions, we can raise the index of suspicion among clinicians of the possibility of frontal sinus lymphoma even when evidence of osteomyelitis is present, therefore prompting earlier tissue biopsies for confirmation of diagnosis.

Pott's puffy tumour and intracranial complications of frontal sinusitis in pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: A Pott's puffy tumour is a subperiosteal abscess and osteomyelitis of the frontal bone secondary to frontal sinusitis. Intracranial complications are seen in approximately 40 per cent of cases and are potentially life-threatening; such complications have not previously been reported in pregnancy. CASE REPORT: A 21-year-old woman at 35 weeks' gestation presented with a history of frontal headaches and swelling, periorbital oedema, pain and chemosis. Imaging confirmed Pott's puffy tumour with right-sided epidural empyema and periorbital cellulitis. A multidisciplinary team was involved in the patient's management. Intravenous antibiotics were commenced and initial percutaneous drainage through the frontal sinus skin was performed, followed by endoscopic sinus drainage. A caesarean section was performed 3 days later. Complete resolution of the sinus and intracranial collections was noted on imaging performed six weeks later. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the challenges of managing rare intracranial complications of sinusitis in pregnancy, and the importance of multidisciplinary care.

Orbital involvement in Pott's puffy tumor: a systematic review of published cases.

BACKGROUND: Pott's puffy tumor (PPT) is a frontal subperiosteal abscess associated with underlying frontal bone osteomyelitis. It represents a well-known source of sinogenic intracranial infection, but the orbital complications related to this entity are rarely reported. The goal of this study was to characterize the orbital involvement in PPT. METHODS: We performed a systematic review through a Medline search (1950-2010). The authors reviewed all cases of PPT, selecting those explicitly describing orbital complications associated with PPT. RESULTS: We screened 139 articles, of which 93 reported cases of PPT. Of these, 35 articles described a total of 42 cases presenting simultaneous orbital complications. Eyelid and/or periorbital edema was the most common finding in patients with orbital involvement, and preseptal cellulitis is by far the most prevalent orbital complication in PPT. Postseptal involvement (orbital cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess of the orbit, and orbital abscess) is much rarer. Although treatment of the classic PPT is surgical, only a minority of patients with orbital infection required orbital drainage. Most reported patients made a full recovery, without permanent sequelae. CONCLUSION: Orbital infections are possible in patients with PPT. In contrast to surgical treatment of the frontal subperiosteal abscess, the orbital complications can be treated conservatively most of the time. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy of the underling PPT are essential to avoid severe local or systemic complications.