Atraumatic Infected Septal Hematoma in a Pediatric Patient

We present a case of a 10-year-old male who developed an atraumatic, nasal septal hematoma with abscess following several days of rhinorrhea and cough. His chief complaint to the emergency department was a two-day history of nasal swelling and discomfort, associated with difficulty breathing through his nose. The patient was well-appearing with swelling and tenderness along the external nasal ridge and nasal septal swelling that occluded both nares. Contrast-enhanced maxillofacial computed tomography revealed a rim-enhancing, fluid-filled collection to the anterior nasal septum. The patient underwent successful incision and drainage by otolaryngology.