Open AccessPneumocephalus in cerebellopontine angle and meningitis secondary to chronic otitis media in a child
Author(s) -
Shailendra Ratre,
Yad Ram Yadav,
Sushma Choudhary,
Vijay Parihar,
Yatin Kher,
Ketan Hedaoo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of neurosciences in rural practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 0976-3147
pISSN - 0976-3155
DOI - 10.4103/0976-3147.158795
Subject(s) - medicine , pneumocephalus , otitis , cerebellopontine angle , meningitis , chronic suppurative otitis media , mastoiditis , bacterial meningitis , surgery , middle ear , complication , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging
Pneumocephalus is a rare complication of chronic otitis media. Despite its rarity intra-cranial air carries a potential risk of increased intra-cranial pressure or meningitis, which requires immediate therapy. A 10-year-old child presented to us with complaints of fever, headache, vomiting, and decreased hearing from left ear. He had history of left ear discharge since 2 years. Clinical examination revealed neck rigidity and left chronic otitis media. Contrast enhanced computed axial tomography scan of head [Figures 1 and 2] showed pneumocephalus in left cerebellopontine angle, opacification of left middle ear and nonpneumatisation of left mastoid. Child was immediately put on empirical intravenous antibiotics and decongestants. He showed clinical improvement in 3 days. Pneumocephalus secondary to chronic otitis media is extremely rare; we are reporting one such case in a child with review of literature.