Pott's Puffy tumor: The role of ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis

Abstract

Pott’s Puffy tumor is a rare disorder which is charactarized by frontal osteomyelitis and subperiosteal abscess as a complication of sinusitis. Nowadays we have forgotten this entity under the broad spectrum antibiotherapies for sinusitis. We reported an adolescent with chronic sinusitis suffered from forehead swelling and headache. He was performed ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonans imaging for accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis with appropriate imaging is necessary in order to avoid more severe complications, such as subdural empyema, septic thrombosis of the dural sinuses. Emergency physicians should remember Pott’s puffy tumor in differential diagnosis in patients presenting with forehead swelling and headache. Imaging modalities have an important role for the right diagnosis and guidance of the surgery. The thing that make this report special is the ultrasonographic images that are so rare reported in the literature. To our knowledge there are two reports which emphasized the sonographic findings of this entity.