OBJECTIVE: Analyzing the clinical manifestation, diagnosis and management of isolated sphenoiditis in children, retrospectively, was to get more information of the disease and to supply correct treatment early. METHOD: The symptoms, signs and imaging data of seventeen cases with isolated sphenoiditis hospitalized in our department from June 2001 to January 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULT: Nine out of seventeen patients had the chief complaint of headache, three patients had blood in nasal discharge and had a fever, and five patients had postnasal drip with headache and a slight fever. The disease lasted for three months to one year. Five patients showed nasal discharge in rhinologic examination, one patient had solitary polyps in sphenoethmoid recess, eight patients had adenoid hypertrophy and the last three patients showed no positive signs. CT scan or MRI revealed opacification in sphenoid sinus. Eight patients received normative antibiotic therapy and were cured. The rest nine patients received endoscopic sinus surgery. The complaints relieved after the surgery and there was no signs of recurrence in 1 to 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION Headache can be the chief and unique symptom of isolated sphenoiditis in children, which was easy to misdiagnose and miss diagnosis. CT or MRI was the evidence of diagnosis. Antibiotic therapy could be used for acute sphenoiditis. Patients with chronic sphenoiditis should receive endoscopic sinus surgery as early as better. From supraturbinal to sphenoid sinus natural ostia is the best way in sphenoidotomy.
Adolescent ; Child ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphenoid Sinus ; pathology ; Sphenoid Sinusitis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery