Nasal septal abscess as a complication of laser inferior turbinectomy.

Postoperative infections are infrequent following laser inferior turbinate surgery. We report a 52-year-old man with a Klebsiella pneumoniae nasal septal abscess as a complication of potassium-titanium-phosphate 532-nm laser turbinectomy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a potentially serious complication resulting from minor ambulatory intranasal surgery. The clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and management of nasal septal abscesses are discussed.