The diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric sinusitis: Water's view radiography versus ultrasonography.

Water's view plain film radiography was compared with ultrasonography in the diagnosis and follow-up of acute maxillary sinusitis in 85 children (170 sinuses). At the first visit, the concordance of the two modalities was 91%, but 20 days later, when the symptoms and signs had disappeared, it was only 76%. At the latter date, the concordance between radiography and clinical findings was 71% and between sonography and clinical findings, 93%. The two modalities studied appear to be equally useful in the initial diagnosis of acute maxillary sinusitis. The loss of back-wall echo correlates well with symptomatic improvement of acute sinusitis. Sonography is also nonionizing and inexpensive, and the examination is simple to repeat.