Analysis of patients with septal abscess caused by electrocauterization of the nasal septum

Özet

Objective: Although nasal septal abscesses are mostlycaused by trauma, they may occur due to non-traumaticcauses. In the present study, we aimed to review patientswho underwent electrocauterization of the nasal mucosafor epistaxis and subsequently developed a nasal septalabscess.Methods: The study included 11 patients who underwent nasal electrocauterization for epistaxis and weresubsequently admitted to our clinic with a pre-diagnosisof septal abscess for drainage of the abscess. The medical records of the patients, including details such as age,sex, duration of follow-up, symptoms, chronic diseases,microbiological cultures, radiological investigations andcomplications were retrospectively evaluated.Results: Of the 11 patients included, seven were male andfour were female with a mean age of 66.18±3.7 years.The mean duration of follow-up was 29.09±17.5 months;five patients had both hypertension and diabetes mellitus, three patients had only diabetes mellitus and threepatients had only hypertension. Microbiological cultureof the purulent material collected during septal abscessdrainage revealed no bacterial growth in six patients,growth of Staphylococcus aureus in two patients andgrowth of Corynebacterium amycolatum in one patient.Four patients underwent preoperative computed tomography (CT) of the paranasal sinuses and five patientsdeveloped a saddle nose deformity in the long-term follow-up.Conclusion: All surgical interventions to the nose or cauterization procedures should be performed under sterileconditions, especially in patients with chronic diseases,and such patients should be followed up after the procedure.