Pott’s Puffy Tumor - Overview of case series

Abstract

Pott’s puffy tumor (PPT) is rare and usually seen as a complication of frontal sinusitis that has been neglected or partially treated, resulting in subperiosteal abscess of the frontal bone with underlying osteomyelitis, which can lead to life-threatening intracranial complications, such as epidural/subdural empyema, cerebral abscess and meningitis. Given this, the purpose of the present study was to gather the most diverse cases reported together to highlight the main treatment methods. Methods: It is a narrative review, starting from the search in the database PubMed, Lilacs and Scielo from 2010 to 2020, which resulted in 34 scientific articles. The search focused on obtaining data on new approaches and treatments established for Pott’s puffy tumor. Results: 34 articles were included which described 58 patients with a swollen Pott tumor, occurring predominantly in male adolescents, with streptococci (26,1%) as the main etiologic agent. Approximately 84% of all patients were male subjects. The most prevalent intracranial complication was an epidural or extradural abscess (84,2%). Regarding PTT therapy, all patients received antibiotic therapy (ATB), and the main empirical antimicrobial scheme used was cephalosporin third generation, with vancomycin and metronidazole. In most cases, surgery was performed using several techniques, mainly an external surgical approach, external drainage (ED) of the subperiosteal abscess associated with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). In general, the prognosis is favorable, even if neurological symptoms are present at admission. Conclusion: Based on available literature, PPT is a profoundly serious complication, which can be easily avoided if treated with the ATB, ED and ESS triad immediately, and, if necessary, craniotomy.