Sinusitis in Children

Abstract

UPPER respiratory tract infections are the most common clinical problems for primary practitioners who care for children. It has recently been estimated that approximately 5 to 10 percent of upper respiratory infections in early childhood are complicated by acute sinusitis.¹ Since children average six to eight colds per year, sinusitis is a very common problem in clinical practice.Anatomy and PhysiologyA brief review of the anatomy and physiology of the paranasal sinuses will help clarify certain clinical features of sinus infection. Figure 1 shows a coronal and two sagittal views demonstrating the relation between the nose and the paranasal sinuses. The . . .