Abstract
We report the case of a 11-year old boy with acute rhinosinusitis who developed subdural empyema and septic meningitis as intracranial complications. Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) was performed with debridement of the subdural abscess via craniotomy and antibiotic therapy. The patient's condition improved gradually postoperatively, and there were no neurological sequelae. We reviewed 70 intracranial rhinogenic complications reported since 1987, and the findings were as follows: intracranial abscess formation accounts for a large number of these cases; there was a large number of young boys under 10 years of age; the frontal sinus was the most frequent site of the primary infection; a larger number of cases with primary infection of the frontal sinus developed complicating brain abscess; common intracranial complications among patients with primary infection of the sphenoid sinus are meningitis and cavernous sinus thrombosis; in cases with primary infection of the frontal sinus with additional bone defect, the probability of abscess formation is high. Immediate surgical therapy is essential for infection control. For adequate therapy, it is important to plan the treatment in consultation with a neurosurgeon.
