“I think it was in this instance it was coincidence, that he had a sinusitis. The entire constellation seem to fit for both, possibly a head injury, but sinusitis can cause the same symptoms.”

– Dr. Michael Mallory, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

An estimated 37 million people are afflicted with sinusitis, infection of the sinuses, and its related conditions each year.

But sinusitis can be hard to diagnose, especially in children – and sometimes it can even mimic other ailments.

Four-year-old Carsten, for example, was brought into the ER with a lump on his head.

He was hit while playing t-ball, and a week later still has headaches.

“ Carson looked very good on exam,” says Dr. Michael Mallory, of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “His neurological exam was non-focal; he was actually happy and playful. He was still complaining of a headache and he had tenderness at the left side of the head.”

To see if Carsten’s skull might be fractured or if there is bleeding, the doctor orders a CAT scan.

According to the CT scan, the boy did not suffer a skull fracture. It did show, however, a sinus infection on the left sign of Carsten’s nose.

And sinusitis can cause persistent headaches.

“I think it was in this instance it was coincidence, that he had a sinusitis,” says Dr. Mallory. The entire constellation seem to fit for both, possibly a head injury – but sinusitis can cause the same symptoms.”

Carsten gets antibiotics for his sinusitis, and is sent home.

“Given the findings on the X-ray and given his headache,” says the doctor, “I felt like it was worthwhile to treat him with antibiotics. This is not something that I expect his mother to have picked up, and sometimes it is just an incidental finding.”

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• Here are some signs that your child may have a sinus infection: A cold lasting longer than 10-to-14 days, sometimes combined with a low-grade fever; a thick, yellow-green nasal discharge; post-nasal drip, sometimes accompanied by a sore throat, cough, bad breath and nausea; swelling around the eyes and irritability. (The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery)
• Sinusitis can be diagnosed by a variety of methods, including laboratory tests (of cultures from the child’s nose or sinus fluid) and also by x-rays, blood tests and/or CAT scan. (Children’s Hospital Boston)
• Antibiotics are the primary medical treatment for sinusitis. A doctor may also order decongestants or mucolytics – to decrease or thin mucous – or cortisone nasal spray, to reduce nasal swelling. (American Rhinologic Society)

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• National Institutes of Health
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• American Academy of Family Physicians

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