Synopsis of key findings
The current study represents one of the largest cohort of children with
sinogenic intracranial suppuration reported in the literature. The study
findings confirm significant short and long-term morbidity previously
described: 48.7% required revision surgery and 23.1% are left with
neurological disability. The treatment course is complex and lengthy
with most children requiring 3 weeks of inpatient treatment and a total
of 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Majority of the patients were found to
have either SDE (64%) or EDA (31%) with frontal sinus involvement
observed in 85%. Consistent with the literature joint neurosurgical and
sinus interventions were most frequently employed as an initial
treatment approach (41%), however it was not found to result in
improved outcomes. A significant proportion (38%) were managed with
sinus interventions alone. The size of an intracranial abscess was the
most important predictor for requiring revision surgery and patients
were 7 times more likely to return to theatre if measured ≥10mm.