Orbital complications of sinusitis in children in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Sinusitis is an inflammatory condition of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses. This is normally a microbial infection commonly caused by viruses such as Rhinovirus, Myxovirus, Reovirus, etc. and bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus-β-haemolyticus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria catarrhalis and Proteus mirabilis. Sinusitis can result in nasal and postnasal space disorders, dental conditions, and traumatic conditions of the craniomaxillofacial bones and also the blood stream septicemia. This condition often presents with frontal headache, fever, general malaise, offensive nasal discharge, blocked nose, and halitosis. It is best managed with the use of systemic antibiotics, analgesic/antipyretic and topical nasal decongestants. Sinusitis can complicate intracranial and extracranial conditions if the management is not properly administered. The intracranial complications include meningitis, epidural, subdural and cerebral abscesses, whereas some of the extracranial complications include orbital complications, otitis media, tonsillitis, the formation of nasal polyps and others. Orbital complications have been found to be one of the major challenges for ophthalmologists and the otorhinolaryngologists in the sense that it can result in loss of vision of the eye of the affected orbit or at times death when there is intracranial involvement. However, no studies have been performed in Ghana to determine the association between sinusitis and orbital com-