Delayed toxic shock syndrome after functional endonasal sinus surgery.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is an uncommon, severe, multisystem illness that may follow any surgical procedure. It usually occurs in the immediate postoperative period and is manifested by the sudden onset of a high fever and a variety of other signs and symptoms. The reported incidence of TSS after nasal surgery is 16 cases per 100,000 patients. We report five unusual cases of delayed TSS that occurred after functional endonasal sinus surgery in which no packing was used. Toxic shock syndrome developed in three children and two adults 5 days to 5 weeks postoperatively. All patients were treated successfully with no sequelae. The pathophysiologic features, clinical manifestations, and treatment of TSS are described in detail.