Intracranial complications of sinusitis

Intracranial suppurative complications of sinusitis remain a challenging and contemporary topic. To determine the prevalence of sinogenic sources in intracranial infectious complications, we reviewed the records at a large public hospital between 1985 and 1995. There were 203 patients with 212 suppurative intracranial infections. Sinogenic sources were identified in 12 patients with 19 infections. Most patients had ethmoid or frontal sinusitis. We discuss the presentation, microbiology, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical course of these 12 cases. The diagnosis of intracranial complications of sinusitis requires a high index of suspicion and radiographic imaging of the head and paranasal sinuses. The mean hospital stay was 31.4 days and all 12 patients survived, although three patients had significant neurologic sequelae.