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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 14-year-old girl presented with bilateral sixth nerve palsies and papilledema after a two-week history of ear drainage and progressive right-sided temporal headache. A computed tomography scan of the head was normal, as were plain films of the mastoids. Lumbar puncture revealed a markedly elevated opening pressure with an otherwise normal cerebrospinal fluid examination, and she was given the diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri. Despite treatment with acetazolamide, prednisone, and repeated lumbar punctures, her symptoms worsened. A magnetic resonance imaging study revealed thrombosis of the right sigmoid sinus, and repeat computed tomography showed evidence of mastoiditis. Definitive therapy consisted of a right mastoidectomy and antimicrobial therapy, to which the patient responded promptly. This case illustrates an unusual sequela of otitis media--termed otitic hydrocephalus--that resulted from obstruction of the sigmoid sinus. Although otitis media is generally a benign illness, clinicians must be alert to suppurative complications, which may evolve insidiously.
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PMID:Otitic hydrocephalus: an uncommon complication of a common condition. 272 95

Case report concerning a three years old boy with benign intracranial hypertension. The typical symptoms are results of increased intracranial pressure, associated with headache, vomiting, choked disk, occasionally dehiscence of cranial sutures and sixth nerve paresis. In computed tomography there were no tumor signs. In childhood a possible cause in thrombosis of the lateral sinus following an occult mastoiditis after antibiotic therapy. Mastoidectomy, intensive antibiotic therapy as well as serial lumbar punctures led to complete recovery in most cases.
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PMID:[Benign intracranial hypertension in childhood following mastoiditis (author's transl)]. 726 3

Because subdural empyema (SDE) is an unusual central nervous system infection, recognition is not always prompt. Consequently delays can allow a serious but curable infection to become irreparably damaging or even fatal. This condition, particularly in the early stages, is relatively easy to treat. Personal experience with six patients during the past 3 years promoted us to review the data from UCLA and its affiliated hospitals. Among the 23 cases of SDE reviewed, the predisposing factor in 16 was sinusitis, mastoiditis, or otitis media. The clinical presentation, encompassing a systemic febrile illness, headache, and neurological deficit, was monotonously uniform. The high incidence of paranasal sinus involvement in the adult, middle ear infections in infants, and seizures in 15 patients comprised further clinical clues suggesting the diagnosis. Although usually diagnosed as an intracranial inflammatory process, an initial failure to suspect a purulent collection in the subdural compartment was typical. Although the findings of definitive diagnostic studies (computed tomography or angiography) are strikingly positive in advanced cases, in the earlier stages of this disorder they may be subtly abnormal. Because the mortality and morbidity rates, in some measure, depend on the stage at which the process is arrested, the real challenge lies in making a prompt diagnosis. The most favorable results are associated with early, decisive surgical treatment.
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PMID:Subdural empyema--importance of early diagnosis. 744 93

The number of brain abscesses has been reduced since the preantibiotic era. This was accomplished by judicious use of antibiotics, by the advent of computed tomography, and by improvements in patient care and surgical techniques. Analysis from 122 patients with brain abscess demonstrated this trend of progress. Our series had a 3.2-to-1 male predominance. The underlying conditions included otolaryngologic infections (26 cases), cyanotic heart diseases (27 cases), implantation abscess (25 cases), lung infections (5 cases), meningitis (4 cases), osteomyelitis (2 cases), decreased immunity from chronic systemic diseases (12 cases), and unknown causes (21 cases). Otolaryngologic subgroups can be detailed as chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (15 cases), chronic otitis media with mastoiditis (4 cases), sinusitis (2 cases), esophageal stenosis (3 cases), cheek cellulitis (1 case), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (1 case). The initial symptoms and signs were headache (46 cases), fever (36 cases), altered consciousness (30 cases), neurologic deficits (33 cases), vomiting (11 cases), and seizure (17 cases). Of the brain abscesses treated, multiple brain abscess represented 16.4% of all cases. The overall percentage of patients with full recovery was 52.5%, whereas 84.8% of otolaryngologic subgroup recovered fully. The overall mortality was 19.7%. The mortality rate of brain abscess from otolaryngologic sources was 3.8%, whereas that from nonotolaryngologic sources was 24%.
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PMID:Brain abscess: with special reference to otolaryngologic sources of infection. 760 12

A 52-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of nausea, headache, ataxic gait, and memory disturbance. CT scans and MRI showed a markedly enhanced lesion in the dura mater of the posterior fossa, edema in the right cerebellar hemisphere, occlusion of the transverse sinus, and hydrocephalus, suggesting hypertrophic pachymeningitis. Chronic otitis media and mastoiditis were also noted. Subjective complaints diminished after steroid administration. The patient underwent right suboccipital craniectomy and biopsy. The dura mater was markedly thickened, and the cerebellar surface was edematous. Histological examination revealed the thickened dura mater to be infiltrated by chronic inflammatory cells of forming lymphatic follicles and accompanied by Langhans giant cells. Inflammatory cells were not found in the cerebellar parenchyma, but were present in the subarachnoid space. Acid-fast stain, PAS and Grocott stain were negative. The cause of the hypertrophic pachymeningitis in this patient, may have been related to the chronic otitis media, but the patient's clinical course suggested that it might represent so-called "idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis".
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PMID:[A case of posterior fossa hypertrophic pachymeningitis with hydrocephalus]. 760 85

An unusual presentation of bilateral otogenic cerebellar abscesses observed in two of our patients is reported. Both gave a history of otorrhoea, fever, headache, vomiting and had bilateral cerebellar signs and conductive hearing loss. The abscesses were detected on computerised tomography. X-rays revealed bilateral mastoiditis. The therapy followed was excision of abscesses, mastoidectomy and antibiotic therapy.
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PMID:Bilateral otogenic cerebellar abscesses. 829 47

Lateral sinus thrombosis has become a rare complication of the ear in the developed world with the widespread use of antibiotics. The classic clinical picture is often modified by previous antibiotic treatment, which difficult diagnosis and treatment. The authors present the case of a seven year old female who, after an acute left otitis media, treated and later complicated with mastoiditis, presented headaches, neck pain, papilledema and binocular diplopy. Etiologic investigation lead to the diagnosis of left lateral sinus thrombosis. Anticoagulation was started with heparin followed by dicumarinics. This treatment was maintained during eight months. At the moment, the child has no symptoms, with no papilledema or repercussions on visual acuity. The diagnosis of lateral sinus thrombosis and the need for a selection of complementary studies is discussed. A protocol treatment, based on data from a review of the literature, is suggested.
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PMID:[Lateral sinus thrombosis]. 1002 2

The clinical course of acute otitis media is usually short, and the process terminates because of the host's immune system, the infection-resistant properties of the mucosal linings, and the susceptibility of the major organisms (beta-hemolytic streptococcus or pneumococcus) to penicillin. However, a small proportion (1% to 5%) of untreated or inadequately treated patients may experience complications. Prior to the development of an intracranial complication of otomastoiditis, warning symptoms or signs may be evident; these include severe earache, severe headache, vertigo, chills and fever, and meningeal symptoms and signs. Increasing headache, particularly temporoparietal headache near the affected ear, often indicates an impending intracranial complication. This symptom, often the only indication of an epidural abscess, demands prompt investigation and medical and surgical intervention. In our experience, computed tomography (CT) permits accurate diagnosis of acute coalescent or latent (masked) mastoiditis and its associated complications. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the study of choice to evaluate otogenic intracranial complications. This article demonstrates the important role of MRI in diagnosing various stages of acute otomastoiditis and its associated complications.
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PMID:Otogenic intracranial inflammations: role of magnetic resonance imaging. 1079 97

A 32-year-old woman presented with a 10-day history of fever (38.0 degrees C), headaches, nausea, vomiting and a 6-month history of diabetes insipidus and amenorrhoea. Two months previously she had undergone a surgical drilling of the right mastoid area because of mastoiditis. Endocrine investigation showed elevated serum prolactin levels, secondary adrenal and gonadal failure and a normal thyroid function. Cranial MRI scan revealed a contrast enhancing intrasellar mass (approximately 2 cm) of heterogeneous appearance with suprasellar extension and thickening of the pituitary stalk. Lumbar puncture was suggestive of aseptic meningitis. The Ziehl-Neelsen stain of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the tuberculin skin test were both negative. The pituitary mass was removed with a transsphenoidal approach. Histological examination demonstrated destruction of the adenohypophysis by epithelioid granulomas with partial caseous necrosis and microabscess formation, suggestive of a mycobacterial infection. A polymerase chain reaction analysis performed on paraffin-embedded tissue was positive for mycobacterial DNA. According to the individual 16S sequence, it was identified as Mycobacterium malmoense, an atypical nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM). In conclusion, this is the first case of an isolated pituitary granuloma caused by an NTM infection in a nonimmunosuppressed patient.
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PMID:Isolated pituitary granuloma by atypical Mycobacterium in a nonimmunosuppressed woman. 1184 56

We report a case of recurrent cerebellar abscess secondary to middle ear cholesteatoma. A 57-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of symptoms of headache and nausea in August, 1992. Brain CT scans revealed acute hydrocephalus complicated by a cerebellar abscess. The patient was discharged without any neurological deterioration after systemic antibiotics combined with intrathecal aminoglucoside administration via ventricular drainage. Mannitol was also administrated for 7 days immediately after the patient's admission. The clinical course was uneventful for 8 years afterwards. Follow-up MR images revealed no signs of recurrence. Unfortunately, the patient suffered a recurrence of cerebellar abscess in October, 2000. His condition continued to deteriorate in spite of being treated by systemic antibiototics. MR images and CT scans targeting a portion of his middle ear revealed extensive pus-coated mastoiditis and middle ear cholesteatoma. We thus performed radical mastoidectomy including removal of the middle ear cholesteatoma. After the operation, the cerebellar abscess was ameliorated. He has been free from recurrence for 2 years, so far. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention are necessary for reducing mortality and morbidity rates due to otogenic brain abscess. Recognizing middle ear cholesteatoma as one of the major causes of neurological entities in the cerebellopontine angle portion, accurate otological examination and prompt treatment can possibly bring about a better prognosis.
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PMID:[Recurrent cerebellar abscess secondary to middle ear cholesteatoma: case report]. 1196 31


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