| OBJECTIVE: cochlear implantation has become a routine operation in the last 10 years. The most common soft tissue complications with transcutaneous cochlear implants include infection or necrosis of the flap and extrusion of the implant and device failure. The most common complication reported with percutaneous devices include minor skin irritations at the pedestal site, retraction of skin from the pedestal site, and loosening of screws that retain the pedestal. We describe one case of lateral sinus thrombosis and secondary temporal lobe infarction caused by infection of a screw anchoring the percutaneous pedestal of an Ineraid implant. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial complications of a percutaneous bone-anchored pedestal may occur with little prodrome. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the pedestal and bone anchoring screws may be indicated if local evidence of infection persists. ( info) |
| Antimicrobial agents have greatly reduced the incidence of intracranial complications of infections of the middle ear and mastoid. Too many prescriptions and overconsumption of antibiotics when otitis media is suspected has caused resistance to many antibiotics, leading to a pronounced and justifiable desire to reduce the widespread excessive use of antibiotics. The possible untoward consequences of a too restricted antibiotic policy, however, is illustrated by the following case of a 14-year-old boy who, after non-treatment of an ear infection, fell ill with one-sided headache and vomiting caused by a lateral sinus thrombosis. After intravenous treatment with antibiotics, anticoagulants and ventilation of the middle ear, the infection was cured without complications. This case calls attention to the symptoms of otitic complications arising outside the temporal bone. The physician must always bear in mind the possibility of an unusual event. The general treatment of endocranial complications is outlined, giving details of the treatment given in this special case. We stress that one should not be too cautious in prescribing antibiotics in otitis media. ( info) |
| INTRODUCTION: We portray and discuss a case of lateral sinus thrombosis following acute otitis media and mastoiditis. CLINICAL PICTURE: The patient presented with otorrhoea, otalgia, neck pain, fever and chills. TREATMENT: Cortical mastoidectomy was performed. Intravenous antibiotics and heparin were administered. OUTCOME: The patient had a complete recovery with no sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Neurotologic complications of suppurative otitis media like meningitis, cerebral abscess, extradural abscess and dural sinus thrombosis are rare in the antibiotic era. Hence, doctors today have to maintain extra vigilance and a high index of suspicion for such complications. ( info) |
4/16. Combined risk factors contributing to cerebral venous thrombosis in a young woman. Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare condition affecting predominantly adolescents or young adults. The presentation is often non-specific, and delay in diagnosis is common. The otolaryngologist may be consulted about the radiological findings of lateral sinus thrombosis and mastoid changes. The association of congenital thrombophilia with unusual presentations of venous thrombosis, especially in young individuals is now well documented. We present a case of lateral and sagittal sinus thrombosis complicated by cerebral venous infarction in a girl with protein c deficiency and masked mastoiditis. Unusual forms of venous thrombosis, including cerebral venous thrombosis may develop in association with a single risk factor for thrombosis, but additional risk factors should be sought especially when thrombosis presents in very young individuals. This case draws attention to the multi-causal nature of cerebral venous thrombosis in young adults, and highlights the issue of masked mastoiditis. A coordinated approach by otolaryngological and haematological teams is recommended in such cases. ( info) |
5/16. Cerebral vein thrombosis in Behcet's disease. Behcet's disease is a chronic, relapsing multisystem disorder, and nervous system involvement is one of the serious manifestations. Neuro-Behcet is rarely reported in children and may present with a wide variety of symptoms because the entire neuraxis may be affected. A case of cerebral vein thrombosis secondary to Behcet's disease is presented. The patient has recovered without any visual loss and had no complaints at 1-year follow-up. ( info) |
6/16. Sigmoid sinus thrombosis with contralateral abducens palsy: first report of a case. Intracranial complications of acute and chronic otitis media can be difficult to recognize because the signs and symptoms are often subtle. This article describes a case of one such complication--sigmoid sinus thrombosis--that was manifested by a contralateral abducens palsy. The author believes that this is the first reported case of such an occurrence. This article also reviews the differential diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure and discusses the recognition and management of lateral sinus thrombosis. ( info) |
7/16. A unique case of Bezold's abscess associated with multiple dural sinus thromboses. OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Bezold's abscess and dural sinus thromboses are rare complications of otitis media in the era of antibiotics. Although potentially fatal, they are treatable. We present a unique case report of Bezold's abscess in association with multiple dural sinus thromboses. STUDY DESIGN: Single case report. methods: A young female patient's clinical course is presented and discussed. We review the anatomy, incidence, pathogenesis, and treatment of Bezold's abscess and dural sinus thrombosis. RESULTS: After mastoidectomy, neck exploration, broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics, and anticoagulation therapy, the patient recovered fully and has remained asymptomatic since her discharge from the hospital at 12 months' follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported case of Bezold's abscess associated with a cavernous sinus thrombosis and the third reported case of Bezold's abscess associated with lateral sinus thrombosis. Despite its rarity, Bezold's abscess must be recognized and treated aggressively. Dural sinus thrombosis is relatively more common, and treatment of the underlying cause is essential. The diagnosis and rapid, aggressive treatment of these conditions are essential for an optimal clinical outcome. ( info) |
| Before the antibiotic era, lateral sinus thrombosis (LST) was the most frequent complication of otitis media. With the widespread usage of antibiotics, its occurrence is rare. Nevertheless, it is still a major complication of middle ear disease. LST mortality fluctuates between 5 and 35%. The major clinical symptoms of patients with LST are pain in the mastoid region, spiking fever, anemia and general health disorders. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography are the most helpful in diagnosis, but the final diagnosis is made by surgical exploration. Three cases with LST are presented, and signs, diagnosis and treatment of disease are discussed. ( info) |
| The management of four cases of lateral sinus thrombosis (LST) over a four-year period at the Royal Darwin Hospital is presented in this retrospective review. The patients were aboriginal and presented with otalgia, otorrhoea and sepsis. Two cases had an associated complication of an otitic hydrocephalus and a subperiosteal abscess. cholesteatoma was found in three cases. Computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the LST in three cases. Three patients were anaemic and thrombocytopenic. All patients had positive blood cultures. The organisms were predominantly mixed anaerobes and bacteroides species. Three patients were managed surgically as a two-stage procedure. One patient was managed as a single-stage procedure with a modified radical mastoidectomy. Therapeutic anticoagulation was utilized in one case. There were no deaths. The prognosis of LST is good if treatment is instituted early with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics and surgery. The role of clot removal at surgery and the use of anticoagulation are discussed in this paper. ( info) |
| fusobacterium necrophorum is implicated as an aetiological agent in a variety of necrotic diseases, such as Lemierre's syndrome (LS) in humans. LS was initially described as septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein secondary to an acute oropharyngeal infection. Other primary sources of infection include parotitis, otitis media, sinusitis, odontogenic infection and mastoiditis. In the pre-antibiotic era LS carried a high mortality. This has been reduced as a result of the widespread use of antibiotics, but there is still a definite morbidity and mortality associated with infection with this virulent organism. We report three cases of complicated otitis media caused by fusobacterium necrophorum. The patients were treated successively with intravenous metronidazole and surgery. ( info) |