Nasal septal abscess: unusual causes, complications, treatment, and sequelae.

Abscesses of the nasal septum are most likely to occur after trauma. Proper management of a nasal septal abscess requires prompt diagnosis, adequate surgical drainage, and parenteral antibiotics to prevent the potentially dangerous spread of infection and the development of severe functional and cosmetic sequelae. Without a history of prior trauma, physicians should be alert to other, less obvious causes for nasal septal abscesses. A rare case of an isolated sphenoid sinus infection leading to a nasal septal abscess illustrates the surgical treatment of these entities.