Subdural Empyema Complicating Sinusitis

Acute sinusitis is a common childhood illness most often involving the ethmoid and maxillary sinuses. Diagnosis is usually based on a history of an upper respiratory tract infection lasting longer than 7 days with a prominent nasal component. Treatment involves 10–14 days of antibiotics. Intracranial complications of pediatric sinusitis are rare, but potentially life-threatening. These include cavernous sinus thrombosis, orbital and intracranial extension, and meningitis. Children with these complications may experience significant morbidity from their infection. In such cases, delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to irreparable brain damage or death. We report a case of sinusitis causing a subdural empyema in an otherwise healthy immunocompetent adolescent boy.