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The case report highlights the potential intracranial complications associated with otitis media, particularly cholesteatoma and mastoiditis, including meningitis, brain abscesses, epi- and subdural empyema, and sigmoid sinus thrombophlebitis. Pyogenic ventriculitis (PV), an inflammation of the ependymal lining of cerebral ventricles, is a rare but serious complication often secondary to factors such as meningitis, cerebral abscesses, or neurosurgery. The case presented involves a 52-year-old male with a history of head trauma who developed PV secondary to cholesteatoma. Despite initial challenges in diagnosis, timely antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention resulted in successful treatment. The study emphasizes the importance of considering ear diseases as potential sources of intracranial infection, particularly in cases of delayed symptom presentation or history of head trauma.

Background: Streptococcus intermedius is a member of the S. anginosus group and is part of the normal oral microbiota. It can cause pyogenic infections in various organs, primarily in the head and neck area, including brain abscesses and meningitis. However, ventriculitis due to periodontitis has not been reported previously., Case Presentation: A 64-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with a headache, fever and later imbalance, blurred vision, and general slowness. Neurological examination revealed nuchal rigidity and general clumsiness. Meningitis was suspected, and the patient was treated with dexamethasone, ceftriaxone and acyclovir. A brain computer tomography (CT) scan was normal, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram staining and bacterial cultures remained negative, so the antibacterial treatment was discontinued. Nine days after admission, the patient's condition deteriorated. The antibacterial treatment was restarted, and a brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed ventriculitis. A subsequent CT scan showed hydrocephalus, so a ventriculostomy was performed. In CSF Gram staining, chains of gram-positive cocci were observed. Bacterial cultures remained negative, but a bacterial PCR detected Streptococcus intermedius. An orthopantomography revealed advanced periodontal destruction in several teeth and periapical abscesses, which were subsequently operated on. The patient was discharged in good condition after one month., Conclusions: Poor dental health can lead to life-threatening infections in the central nervous system, even in a completely healthy individual. Primary bacterial ventriculitis is a diagnostic challenge, which may result in delayed treatment and increased mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a common complication which may lead to insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). Our aim is to evaluate a possible influence of specific clinical and biochemical factors on VPS dependency with special emphasis on hyperglycaemia on admission., Patients and Methods: Retrospective analysis of a monocentric database of aSAH patients. Using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis we evaluated factors influencing VPS dependency, with a special focus on hyperglycaemia on blood sample within 24 h of admission, dichotomised at 126 mg/dl. Factors evaluated in the univariable analysis were age, sex, known diabetes, Hunt and Hess grade, Barrow Neurological Institute scale, treatment modality, extra-ventricular drain (EVD) insertion, complications (rebleeding, vasospasm, infarction, decompressive craniectomy, ventriculitis), outcome variables and laboratory parameters (glucose, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin)., Results: We included 510 consecutive patients treated with acute aSAH requiring a VPS (mean age 58.2 years, 66% were female). An EVD was inserted in 387 (75.9%) patients. In the univariable analysis, VPS dependency was associated with hyperglycaemia on admission (OR 2.56, 95%CI 1.58-4.14, p  < 0.001). In the multivariable regression analysis after stepwise backward regression, factors associated with VPS dependency were hyperglycaemia >126 mg/dl on admission (OR 1.93, 95%CI 1.13-3.30, p  = 0.02), ventriculitis (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.33-4.04, p  = 0.003), Hunt and Hess grade (overall p -value 0.02) and decompressive craniectomy (OR 2.68, 95%CI 1.55-4.64, p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Hyperglycaemia on admission was associated with an increased probability of VPS placement. If confirmed, this finding might facilitate treatment of these patients by accelerating insertion of a permanent draining system., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© European Stroke Organisation 2022.)

It has long been believed that spinal subdural empyemas (SDEs) with neurological symptoms result in death if operative intervention is not performed. We present a case of addressing an extensive spinal SDE with a minimally invasive procedure: a bedside lumbar drain. Our patient is a 67-year-old man with medical history significant for type I diabetes who presented 2 weeks after a right shoulder steroid injection with septic arthritis. An MRI was obtained for back pain which revealed spinal SDE from the cervical to lumbosacral spine. Given patient's acute sepsis, haemodynamic instability, and extent of empyema, we placed a lumbar drain for decompression. The patient had a prolonged complicated hospital course. Imaging 2 months later revealed interval decrease in the spinal SDE. Although this severe septic event left the patient with significant deficits, he was able to return to ambulation without surgical intervention., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae is a gram-negative bacteria, known for its intrinsic multidrug resistance, which can lead to treatment difficulties., Patient Concerns: A 56-year-old male had an indwelling external ventricular drainage catheter for 6 months and had been frequently treated with antibiotics for nosocomial infections. He showed cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and an abrupt fever during hospitalization., Diagnosis: He was diagnosed as a ventriculitis caused by Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae (C arthrosphaerae)., Intervention: Initially, we used ciprofloxacin as the backbone in combination with minocycline (and rifampin). However, fever and pleocytosis persisted, and improvement was slow. We then switched the minocycline and rifampin regiment to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Following this switch of antibiotics, the patient's pleocytosis rapidly improved, allowing the replacement of his external ventricular drainage catheters. C arthrospharae was no longer growing in cerebrospinal fluid and he was recovered from ventriculitis., Outcomes: The patient remains alive without any incidence of C arthrosphaerae recurrence., Conclusion: We propose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole alone or in combination with ciprofloxacin to be good candidates for the treatment of ventriculitis by C arthrosphaerae.

To describe a fatal case of invasive Aspergillus flavus sinusitis in a 43-year old female with sickle cell disease (SCD) complicated by intracerebral aspergilloma and invasive Salmonella infection. Cerebral aspergilloma carries a very high mortality rate. The patient developed post-craniotomy intracerebral hemorrhage at the site of biopsy, Salmonella species sepsis and ventriculitis. She presented with a 2-month history of headache, dizziness, personality and behavioral changes, and vomiting. Initial clinical evaluation raised the suspicion of brain tumor. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left frontal, thick-walled ring-enhancing lesion with extensive surrounding edema suggestive of a neoplastic lesion, or a contiguous inflammatory or infectious process from the skull base. Despite early diagnosis and appropriate antifungal and surgical management, she eventually died from severe infection and respiratory arrest. In conclusion, invasive aspergillosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of SCD patients with central nervous system (CNS) lesions.

Communicating hydrocephalus may complicate infantile bacterial meningitis, typically presenting with systemic features of infection. We report a rare case of 'subclinical meningoventriculitis' causing obstructive hydrocephalus and its challenging management. A healthy 10-week-old immunocompetent male patient presented with failure to thrive and vomiting, secondary to presumed gastro-oesophageal reflux. The child was neurologically alert, afebrile with normal inflammatory markers. Progressive macrocephaly prompted an MRI confirming triventricular hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis. An endoscopic third ventriculostomy was performed however abandoned intraoperatively due to the unexpected finding of intraventricular purulent cerebrospinal fluid. A 6-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone was commenced for Escherichia coli meningoventriculitis. However, the child was readmitted 18 days postoperatively with acute hydrocephalus requiring a ventricular washout and staged ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion at 4 weeks. Serial head circumference measurements are paramount in the assessment of a paediatric patient. In an immunocompetent child, a subclinical fibropurulent meningoventriculitis can result in several management challenges., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with disturbance of consciousness, fever and headache. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed pleocytosis with neutrophil predominance, increased protein and low glucose. CSF and blood cultures yielded negative results. Antibiotics and antituberculous drugs were started for meningitis. An antimycotic was also added. The patient died from transtentorial hernia 99 days after admission. Autopsy revealed meningitis, ventriculitis and brain abscess, and Nocardia araoensis was detected in pus from the left lateral ventricle. This appears to represent the first report of N. araoensis meningitis complicated by ventriculitis and brain abscess.

Objective: Unilateral hydrocephalus (UH) is characterized by enlargement of just one lateral ventricle. In this paper, the authors will demonstrate their experiences in the neuroendoscopic management of this uncommon type of hydrocephalus., Method: The authors retrospectively reviewed a series of almost 800 neuroendoscopic procedures performed from September 1995 to July 2010 and selected seven adult patients with UH. Clinical and radiological charts were reviewed and analyzed., Results: Six patients had intraventricular neurocysticercosis and one patient had congenital stenosis of the foramen of Monro. Headaches were the most common symptom. A septostomy restored cerebrospinal fluid circulation. During follow-up period (65.5 months, range 3-109) no patient has presented clinical recurrence as well as no severe complications have been observed., Conclusion: UH is a rare condition. A successful treatment can be accomplished through a neuroendoscopic approach avoiding the use of ventricular shunts.