Pediatric Pott Puffy Tumor

  • Etiology: Complication of frontal sinusitis resulting in osteomyelitis of frontal bone with subperiosteal abscess
  • Imaging: Frontal sinusitis resulting in frontal bone osteomyelitis with subperiosteal abscess leading to forehead soft tissue swelling
  • DDX:
  • Complications: Epidural abscess with pneumocephalus, venous sinus thrombosis
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical: Often chronic with rubbery swelling of forehead

Radiology Cases of Pott Puffy Tumor

CT of Pott puffy tumor
Sagittal (above left) and axial (above right) CT with contrast of the brain in soft tissue windows as well as sagittal (below left) and axial (below right) CT in bone windows show frontal sinusitis resulting in frontal bone osteomyelitis eating through the frontal bone resulting in a subperiosteal abscess leading to tremendous forehead soft tissue swelling.

Radiology Case of Pott Puffy Tumor with Epidural Empyema

CT of Pott puffy tumor and subdural empyema
Sagittal CT with contrast of the brain shows frontal and left maxillary sinusitis and extensive soft tissue swelling anterior to the forehead (upper left) and destruction of the anterior left frontal bone in the frontal sinus and extensive soft tissue swelling anterior to the left orbit (upper right). Coronal (lower left) and sagittal (lower right) T1 MRI with contrast of the brain shows diffuse meningeal enhancement, subdural empyemas along the falx and both cerebral convexities, and multiple large non-enhancing subgaleal fluid collections in the left scalp.