Pott’s swollen tumor is a bone infection in the forehead that causes swelling and a subperiosteal abscess. It can be caused by bacteria, head injuries, or drug abuse and is diagnosed with a CT or MRI scan. Treatment involves antibiotics and surgical drainage.
Pott’s swollen tumor is a condition involving a type of bone infection known as osteomyelitis. The infection is in the bone that makes up the forehead, called the frontal bone. In addition to osteomyelitis, this condition also involves a subperiosteal abscess. This is pus that has collected between the bone and the periosteum, which is the fibrous membrane that covers it. It is a condition that can affect both children and adults, although it is more common in teenagers 20 years of age or younger.
The first person to describe Pott’s swollen tumor was a British surgeon named Sir Percivall Pott. Pott, for whom the condition was named, documented the condition in the mid-1800s. Also, the “swollen” part of the name Pott’s swollen tumor represents the swelling of the forehead associated with the condition.
Most of the time swollen Pott’s tumors are caused by bacteria, such as some species of strep or staph, the same bacteria that often cause bacterial sinusitis. From that infection a subperiosteal abscess forms; and if the infection spreads it can even result in an epidural abscess. This potentially dangerous type of abscess is a buildup of pus that builds up between the bones of the skull and the membrane that covers the brain. Although acute bacterial frontal sinusitis is the most common cause of the condition, it is not the only possible cause. In other cases, a head injury or chronic abuse of methamphetamine or cocaine in the nose may be an underlying cause.
There are several indications that a person may have this condition. The most obvious and common sign is swelling that occurs in the forehead region or above the bony area surrounding the eye. For some, this swelling is the only visible sign, however there are other potential indications that may present. A doctor should consider Pott’s swollen tumor when his or her patient complains of persistent headaches, fever, or vomiting. In some rare cases, seizures can also be a symptom.
Before it can be treated properly, Pott’s swollen tumor must first be accurately diagnosed. A doctor will typically do this by doing a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the head. Once the diagnosis has been made, the patient is started on an antibiotic treatment which is given into a vein. The general course of treatment with antibiotics is six weeks. In order to reduce forehead swelling, your doctor will also perform a surgical procedure to drain the abscess.
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