Pott Puffy Tumor

The term "Pott puffy tumor" (PPT) refers to edema of part or all of the forehead due to a subperiosteal abscess associated with frontal bone osteomyelitis (see Example of a Pott Puffy Tumor). While the word "tumor" typically suggests neoplasia, in this context, it refers to swelling as one of Celsus' "4 cardinal signs of inflammation"—the other 3 being calor (heat), rubor (redness), and dolor (pain). PPT was first described in 1760 by Sir Percivall Pott as a complication of a frontal bone fracture. Sir Percivall Pott was a prominent surgeon of the eighteenth century, known for identifying the link between chimney sweeping and scrotal cancer, as well as for describing mycobacterial infection of the spine (Pott disease) and bimalleolar ankle fractures (Pott fractures). In 1775, Pott documented a more typical case of PPT, which developed as a complication of frontal sinusitis. He also outlined its treatment through operative drainage—a method that remains a mainstay of treatment today.