ABSTRACT
Infective sinusitis is a condition that many of us will have suffered from at some time in our lives during the course of a severe head cold. However, sometimes the infection may escalate to cause an acute complication. Complications of infective sinusitis occur in both children and adults, but children have always been much more prone to developing periorbital cellulitis. Periorbital cellulitis is a term used to encompass all infections within the orbit. The orbital septum is a fibrous sheet that effectively acts as a barrier to spread of infection, and infections are therefore categorised as pre-septal or post-septal. A subperiosteal abscess is most likely to affect the medial part of the orbit, but in older children and adults, it can occur in the superior aspect. This will cause proptosis and possible limitation of eye movement and should be clearly visible on Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the sinuses.
