Imaging and bacteriological study of rhinosinusitis in children

ABSTRACT

For the evaluation of rhinosinusitis in children, bacteriological study of sinus secretion and imaging of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses with plane radiographs and CT scans were performed to 34 children clinically diagnosed as rhinosinusitis and classified into three groups; acute, chronic and recurrent acute. Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Moraxella catarrhalis were the commonest pathogens detected in 80% of the cases. Opacification of one or more sinuses were detected in all cases in plane radiographs. Concha bullosa, polypoid mucosal hypertrophy, total opacity of all sinuses, antrochoanal polyp, septal spur with bilateral ethmoid and maxillary sinusitis and Aspergillus infection were detected in CT scans with staging of sinus pathology. It was concluded that rhinosinusitis in children is a multifactorial disease. CT scanning with staging of sinus pathology is crucial for detecting mucosal inflammatory changes, besides morphological variations and anatomical study of the ostiomeatal complex