Sinusitis in children is a relatively common inflammatory otolaryngological disease in children, often caused by bacterial infection secondary to a cold. The main clinical manifestations are nasal blockage and pus nasal discharge from the nasal cavity.
Due to the anatomical characteristics of children’s sinuses at the stage of growth and development, maxillary sinusitis and septal sinusitis are the most common. Like adult sinusitis, sinusitis in children is divided into acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis. The early symptoms of acute sinusitis are similar to those of a cold, and may be accompanied by fever, poor mental health, or irritability, in addition to nasal congestion and increased pus. It is often accompanied by complications such as acute otitis media and rhinorrhea, and older children may complain of headache or pain in one cheek. Chronic sinusitis: refers to blocked nasal passages with mucus or mucopurulent nasal discharge. Those who have symptoms for more than 3 months, and the above symptoms are intermittent or frequent episodes for more than 3 months. Chronic sinusitis often occurs with rhinorrhea, as well as a long-term chronic cough. It may be accompanied by adenoid hypertrophy, secretory otitis media or purulent otitis media and other diseases of adjacent organs. Systemic symptoms may occur, such as depression, poor learning, prolonged low-grade fever, poor appetite, and weight loss.
The diagnosis of sinusitis in children is based on clinical symptoms and nasal endoscopy, avoiding X-rays and CT examinations as much as possible.