‘Healthy' boy, 8, left with giant forehead and lethal swelling after blocked nose turned into ‘Pott's puffy tumour'

The Sun

23-05-2025

A YOUNG boy with a seemingly innocent headache and blocked nose was rushed to hospital when his forehead began to swell.
Experts are now raising awareness of the life-threatening condition he faced.
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The eight-year-old boy had complained of a headache, fever, and blocked nose prior to his hospital admission.
All three symptoms are commonly associated with sinusitis - a sinus infection that usually clears up on its own within four weeks.
But two weeks later the boy was rushed to the emergency department when his forehead began to swell.
The swelling measured 8 x 5cm and extended to the root of his nose.
It also rapidly increased in size down to his eyelids.
Initially, his condition was believed to have resulted from direct trauma to the forehead.
But following a CT scan, doctors discovered he'd developed a rare complication of sinusitis, known as Pott's puffy tumour.
Pott's puffy tumour causes a fluid-filled lump on the forehead and can be fatal if left untreated.
Luckily for the boy, he was swiftly treated with antibiotics, and after 48 hours, the swelling began to subside.
He was then discharged home after three weeks of hospitalisation.
I've only got half a skull left after what started as a simple cold
His case was recently published in Cureus.
Pott's puffy tumour, named after Sir Percivall Pott, an English surgeon who first described it in 1760, is an uncommon condition in the UK.
The authors wrote: "Although this condition can affect people of any age or gender, previous studies revealed that PPT in those above the age of 18 years is more common in the five to 17 age range, and they are more common in adolescents, with a median age of 11 years, favouring male patients, who account for 70 per cent of cases.
"In our case, the child was an eight-year-old boy. In the adolescent age, the flow rate of the diploic veins, which drain the frontal sinus, increases and favours the hematogenous spread of infections."
If Pott's puffy tumour is left untreated, it may result in bone erosion from the infected material coming into direct contact with intracranial structures, they noted.
They concluded: "A seemingly harmless and common infection, such as acute bacterial sinusitis, can occasionally lead to serious complications.
"To prevent fatal complications, it is crucial to recognise and treat benign infections such as bacterial sinusitis.
"Although surgical intervention is recommended in this condition, early detection can enable a less invasive approach and may even eliminate the need for surgery altogether."
What is Pott's puffy tumour?
Pott's puffy tumour is a rare complication of sinusitis (sinus infection).
It's essentially a swelling of the forehead due to an infection spreading from the sinuses.
The condition can be life-threatening if not treated promptly due to the potential for infection to spread to the brain.
The primary symptom is swelling, particularly on the forehead, along with fever, headache, and nasal discharge.
Other symptoms include light sensitivity, pain when pressing on the affected area, and potentially bulging eyes (proptosis).
Pott's puffy tumour is an uncommon condition in the UK, considered rare in the post-antibiotic era.
While it can affect individuals of any age, it's most commonly observed in teenagers and young adults, possibly due to the increased vascularity and development of the diploic veins during adolescence.
If you suspect a Pott's puffy tumor, seek immediate medical attention.