Transmastoid and Transtemporal Drainage of Petrous Apicitis with Otitis Media.

BACKGROUND: Petrous apicitis (PA) is a serious infection involving the apical portion of the petrous temporal bone. The classic triad of purulent otorrhea, ipsilateral abducens nerve palsy and retroorbital pain is rarely seen due to early detection and widespread use of antibiotics. Medical management is the primary treatment modality with surgery reserved for cases of recalcitrant petrous apex abscess. METHODS AND RESULTS: We presented a case of PA with previously untreated otitis media. After multidisciplinary evaluation, the patient was initially treated with intravenous antibiotics followed by drainage of the abscess using a combined transmastoid and middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach. The patient recovered well with no recurrence of the infection based on imaging and symptoms. DISCUSSION: While a variety of different surgical approaches can be used in treatment of PA, we recommend the MCF approach in cases where access to the anterior petrous apex may be challenging via transcanal or transmastoid approach.

Treatment of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and ventriculitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections are a recognized problem in healthcare, causing ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and ventriculitis. Such infections are serious intracranial infection that can lead to serious complication and death. Treatment of infection caused by A. baumannii becomes difficult because of its inclination to develop pandrug resistance to the universally used antibiotics. In this case, we focused on pediatric ventriculitis/shunt infection caused by A. baumannii in an extensive follow-up and report the subsequent treatment outcome. Very limited information regarding the therapeutic options against A. baumannii ventriculitis/shunt infection is available in our hospital. Thus, we present one such case and the problems in its treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported the case of a 6-year-old Ethiopian boy who developed ventriculitis/shunt infection from the pandrug-resistant strain of A. baumannii, after decompression of a craniotomy for medulloblastoma. Following the surgical procedure, he had developed hydrocephalus and ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection/ventriculitis as he presented with persistent fever, elevated white blood cell count, reduced glucose level, and the cerebrospinal fluid culture revealed A. baumannii, which was not responding to most of commercially available antibiotics systemically. Our patient was successfully treated with intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam. CONCLUSIONS: We presented our case of pandrug-resistant A. baumannii ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and ventriculitis successfully treated with a systemic ampicillin-sulbactam. Provision of systemic ampicillin-sulbactam should not be undermined. Therefore, this case exemplifies that intravenous administration of ampicillin-sulbactam can be a good therapeutic option against A. baumannii ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and ventriculitis.

Pyogenic Ventriculitis and Meningitis Caused by Streptococcus Acidominimus in Humans: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Streptococcus acidominimus, which belongs to the viridans streptococci group, is rarely considered pathogenic in humans. However, over the past 10 years, this bacterium has been reported to cause serious infections in humans, particularly among the critically ill. This article is the first case report of pyogenic ventriculitis (PV) and meningitis caused by S. acidominimus in North America. CASE REPORT A 49-year-old Asian male presented to the emergency department with complaints of a headache, fever greater than 37.8°C (100°F) and confusion, of approximately 3 days duration. He was unable to speak coherently or follow approximately half of the given commands. He appeared ill; an intracranial infection was suspected. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed: 1) infected proteinaceous material and pus-like material throughout the cerebral sulci and in the occipital horns of both lateral ventricles, 2) ependymal signal abnormality of the posterolateral margin of the occipital horn of the left lateral ventricle, and 3) early hydrocephalus suggestive of ventriculitis and meningitis. The blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive for S. acidominimus. The patient improved with minimal deficits after 6 weeks of IV ceftriaxone without requiring a neurosurgical intervention, such as an intraventricular drain or neuroendoscopic surgery. CONCLUSIONS PV and meningitis caused by S. acidominimus are rare but potentially fatal intracranial infections. Therefore, despite the risk of generalizing, our case report suggests that PV and meningitis caused by S. acidominimus can be effectively treated with a prompt and prolonged course of IV ceftriaxone without neurosurgical intervention.

Neuroendoscopic aspiration and lavage of intraventricular empyema following shunt infection in infants.

Bacterial ventriculitis is one of the most common and serious complications of shunt placement. Shunt infection has varied management and is difficult to treat neurosurgically. We report a case of intraventricular empyema due to shunt infection. Standard management was failed for this case and reaccumulation of pus in the both ventricles. Neuroendoscopic surgery with intraventricular lavage and aspiration using cannula nasogastric tube (NGT) through a single burr hole, has successfully decreased the accumulation of intraventricular empyema. After lavage and aspiration, antibiotic can be distributed effectively to the affected area. Follow up imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture shown a good result and shorter length of stay in the hospital. Neuroendoscopy appears effective and safe for the management of bacterial ventriculitis due to shunt infection in infant. The strategy described in this report might be useful to treat intraventricular empyema.

Cerebral Ventriculitis Associated with Otogenic Meningoencephalitis in a Dog.

A dog was evaluated for rapidly progressive mentation change, ataxia, and tetraparesis. The dog's neurological status deteriorated drastically. It became comatose with bilateral mydriasis, and the pupillary light reflex was absent. An anti-inflammatory dose of methylprednisolone was administered, and temporary stabilization of neurological status was achieved. MRI findings were suggestive of ventriculitis and meningoencephalitis originating from the left tympanic cavity. A gadolinium leakage phenomenon was noted, likely resulting from severe damage to the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier during the inflammatory process. Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid and materials in the left tympanic cavity further confirmed the diagnosis. Following surgical and antibiotic treatment, the dog recovered well with only a mild residual head tilt. Seven months after surgery, the dog had a recurrent infection of the left tympanic cavity without intracranial involvement. A second surgery led to an uneventful recovery, and the dog was clinically normal except for a mild head tilt 3 yr after the initial presentation. This is the first report describing ventriculitis associated with otogenic meningoencephalitis in dogs and a gadolinium leakage phenomenon displayed on MRI. The long-term outcome of ventriculitis-complicated otogenic meningoencephalitis in dogs could be satisfied with prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Meningitis related ventriculitis--experience from a tertiary care centre in northern India.

OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical profile and short term outcome of patients with meningitis related ventriculitis. METHODS: Case records of 47 patients admitted with a diagnosis of ventriculitis (complicating meningitis) over 3 y were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 4.96 mo (20 d - 42 mo). The common symptoms were fever (27/47), enlarging head (23/47) and seizures (12/47) with signs of raised intracranial pressure (29/47). Ventricular cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) showed mean cells - 237 cells/µL, sugar - 36 mg/dL and protein - 568 mg/dL. Gram stain and/or culture were positive in 5 patients. Ultrasonography of the head (done in 32 of 47 patients) showed hydrocephalus in 29 and internal echoes, debris or septations in ventricles in 5 patients. Computed tomography (CT) of brain (done in 42 of 47 patients) showed hydrocephalus in 36, abscesses in 7, ependymal enhancement in 4, infarcts in 4 and subdural empyema in 3 patients. MRI brain (done in 13 patients) showed hydrocephalus in all, 6 had cysts and 3 had ependymal enhancement. Thirty seven patients were started on ceftriaxone combined with vancomycin/cloxacillin with/without amikacin, and 10 patients received vancomycin and meropenem. Mean duration of antibiotics treatment was 4.17 wk (range; 0.8-12 wk). External ventricular drainage (EVD) was done in 22/47 patients. Cure rate (improvement in clinical and CSF parameters) in patients with external ventricular drainage was 59% as against 50% in patients who received antibiotics alone. At least 19 patients required ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt for unresolved significant hydrocephalus by discharge. There were 10 deaths, four of them occurred within first 2 wk of admission, one in 3rd wk and 5 within few months of discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Ventriculitis associated with meningitis is a difficult to treat infection with significant mortality and morbidity. It requires prolonged administration of antibiotics. External ventricular drainage may improve cure rate and hasten clearing of CSF infection.

Excessive external drainage of CSF might aggravate bacterial ventriculitis.

Bacterial ventriculitis is one of the most difficult diseases of neurosurgery, if not controlled well in the early stage, it will cause empyema, adhesion and separated infectious ventricle locules inside the ventricle. Few studies focus on the relationship between external drainage volume and the occurrence of adhesion and separation of the ventricle. This paper reported a case of ventriculitis, and we propose that excessive external drainage might increase the occurrence rate of the internal separation and adhesion of ventricle in patients with ventriculitis. Choosing an appropriate drainage method and avoiding excessive drainage might be the key to the treatment of ventriculitis.

Taming an old enemy: a profile of intracranial suppuration.

Intracranial suppurative disorders (ICSDs; brain abscess, empyema, and purulent ventriculitis), have been a scourge through the ages and attempts at curative surgery, as for cranial trauma, are considered to be one of the first true neurosurgical interventions performed. ICSDs, seen initially as a consequence of poor socioeconomic conditions and neglected otorhinogenic infections, predominantly manifest today as postsurgical complications, and/or in immunocompromised patients where they continue to result in significant neurologic morbidity and death. The reduction in the incidence of "old world" classic ICSDs can be attributed to the modernization of society, driven inter alia by a shift from an agricultural to an industrial economic society. It can also be coupled with pivotal achievements in public health and the dramatic developments in medicine in the 20th century. This trend was first noted in developed countries but now, with improved socioeconomic circumstances and globalization of medical technology, it is occurring in the developing regions of the world as well. Although ICSDs have undergone a metamorphosis in their clinical profile and despite their rarity in contemporary "developed world" neurosurgical practice, they still have undoubted potential for fatal consequences and continue to pose a significant challenge to the 21st-century neurosurgeon.