Surgical treatment of multiple bilateral brain abscesses and subdural empyas in a 6-year-old child with purulent rhinosinusitis

Introduction. Bacterial brain abscesses and subdural empyema are often rare complications of rhinosinusitis, which is especially important in pediatric practice. Intracranial purulent clusters are life-threatening diseases which require urgent, and as a rule, surgical management.

Purpose. To illustrate successful surgical treatment of a patient with multiple bilateral brain abscesses and subdural empyemas as a result of purulent inflammation - paranasal sinusitis, which had not been diagnosed at the prehospital stage.

Material and methods. A case of a 6-year-old boy with multiple bilateral brain abscesses and subdural empyemas is described in the article. The patient had antibacterial therapy; paranasal sinuses were sanitized; all intracranial purulent foci were removed with minimally invasive approaches and accurate calculations based on findings of MRI examination.

Results. It had been confirmed that abscesses and subdural empyemas in the described patient was a complication of purulent inflammation in paranasal sinuses. To control treated foci and to exclude development of new purulent intracranial clusters in dynamics, multiple MRI examinations of the brain were performed. For successful management of purulent foci, the technique of incision, drainage, sanitation with antiseptic solutions and intraoperative exudate aspiration was applied.

Conclusion. Abscesses and empyemas of children’s brain are serious, life-threatening pathologies that always require hospitalization and emergency measures. Multiple abscesses and subdural empyemas is, as a rule, complication of rhinosinusitis. Multiple dynamic CT/MRI examinations of the brain is of a key importance, both for controlling removed foci and for excluding development of new purulent intracranial clusters. Active surgical tactics in the combination with antibacterial therapy leads to successful outcomes in patients with intracranial purulent lesions complicating the course of rhinosinusites.