Carotid Artery Spasm Secondary to Acute Isolated Sphenoid Sinusitis

Abstract

Isolated sphenoid sinus disease is rare, affecting only 1% to 2.7% of all patients diagnosed as having paranasal sinus disease. 1 The condition is even less common in the pediatric population, in that only 15% of patients with isolated sphenoid disease are of pediatric age. 2 Further complicating the diagnosis of isolated sphenoid sinus disease is that the symptoms are often vague, and patients may go undiagnosed until they develop neurologic complications. Acute isolated sphenoid sinusitis (AISS) represents a subset of isolated sphenoid disease that requires distinct management from other types of acute sinusitis. We report 3 cases of AISS, while highlighting 1 patient whose course was complicated by spasm of the internal carotid artery (ICA).