Authors : Sruthy Sivan, Arya M, Naiema Shajihan, Sruthi Prasad, Vismaya V R, Dr. Zachariah Thomas, Lallu Mariam Jacob.
Volume/Issue : Volume 4 - 2019, Issue 3 - March
Google Scholar : https://goo.gl/DF9R4u
Scribd : https://bit.ly/2Mu1y6W
Right skull base osteomyelitis is a life threatening condition which mainly affects the external otitis with the involvement of temporal bone. It is most commonly caused due to the bacterial infection and rarely, a fungal infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and zygomycetes are the pathogens responsible for the disease progression. It is most frequently found in elderly patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clinically, patient may present with the complaints of cranial nerve palsies, facial paralysis, ear pain, dizziness, and headache. Right skull base osteomyelitis can be diagnosed from the patient’s medical history, laboratory parameters and radiological investigations. The current case describes such an instance in a 72 year old male patient who was admitted to the neurology department with the complaints of right ear pain, deviation of ankle of mouth to left side and difficulty in closing right eye for the past 1 month. The patient had a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Based on the clinical manifestation and CT scan, the patient was diagnosed with right skull base osteomyelitis caused by Aspergillus flavus infections. The progression of disease is ameliorated with the help of antifungal therapy and also adopted necessary measures to correct the underlying risk factors.
Keywords : Skull Base Osteomyelitis, External Otitis, Temporal Bone, Facial Paralysis, Cranial Nerve Palsies.