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CASE REPORT
a
Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
b
Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Received Apr 8, 2011; received in revised form Jul 4, 2011; accepted Aug 3, 2011
Key Words Nasal septal abscess is defined as a collection of pus between the cartilage or the bony septum
child; and the overlying mucoperichondrium or mucoperiostium. Appropriate management of a nasal
immunocompetence; septal abscess requires prompt diagnosis, adequate surgical drainage, and parenteral admin-
nasal septal abscess istration of antibiotics. This can prevent the potentially dangerous spread of infection and
development of severe functional and cosmetic sequelae. Incidence of nasal septal abscess
is rare, and most reports involve adults who had experienced nasal trauma. Herein, we report
a case of nasal septal abscess caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in
a healthy immunocompetent child.
Copyright 2012, Taiwan Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights
reserved.
1875-9572/$36 Copyright 2012, Taiwan Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.pedneo.2012.04.011
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214 Y.-C. Huang et al
Figure 1 The nasal septum is swollen and fluctuant, and totally obstructed both the nasal cavities: (A) right nasal cavity; (B) left
nasal cavity.
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Pediatric nasal septal abscess 215
nasal obstruction. Difficult breathing occurs because of the This paper reports a healthy child with nasal septal
diffused bulge of the anterior nasal septum. When this abscess caused by community-acquired MRSA but no nasal
occurs, the surface of the nose is often swollen, tender, and trauma or surgical history. The possible presence of nasal
erythematous. Some patients can also develop fever, septal abscess in a pediatric patient with progressive nasal
a faster heart rate, headache, and leukocytosis.1 In this obstruction should be considered. Prompt diagnosis and
study, the patient exhibited high fever and a painful, adequate treatment for preventing the potentially
swollen, erythematous, and stuffy nose with progressively dangerous spread of infection and the development of
difficult breathing. severe functional and cosmetic sequelae are important.
Studies show that the most common organisms detected
in the culture of nasal septal abscess are Staphylococcus References
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