A 23-year-old man in Cameroon lived for about five months with swelling on the left side of his forehead, pus draining from his left nostril, headaches, vomiting, and blurred vision. By the time he was examined, he had a fever of 38 degrees Celsius, a pus-draining opening above his left eye, and weakness on the right side of his body. A CT scan showed pockets of pus that had collected inside his skull, on the surface covering the brain.
His case, published online May 25 in Research Connections by Ignatius Esene, Berjo Takoutsing and colleagues, is one of several recent reports of Pott's puffy tumor in adults. The condition is usually described as a complication of sinus infections in children and teenagers, but a growing body of adult cases shows grown-ups can develop it too, sometimes with serious complications.
