Acute onset of abducens nerve palsy in a child with prior history of otitis media: a misleading sign of Gradenigo syndrome

Petrous Apicitis: A Systematic Review and Case Presentation

INTRODUCTION

Petrous apicitis (PA) is a rare but dangerous complication of acute otitis media. The objective of this study is to present a case of PA and systematically review the existing literature on PA to characterize clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcomes in the antibiotic era.

METHODS

A comprehensive search from 1983 to June 1, 2020, of PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EmBase databases was conducted. Studies with clinical data regarding patients with PA were included. Non-English literature or studies with insufficient individual patient data were excluded. Sixty-seven studies were included with a total of 134 patients.

RESULTS

A total of 67 articles were found to meet criteria for inclusion. The mean age of presentation was 33 years. Recent acute otitis media was reported in 78 patients (58.2%). Only 3 patients (2.2%) were immunocompromised, and 8 patients (6.0%) had a history of diabetes. Gradenigo's triad of abducens palsy, otorrhea, and retro-orbital or facial pain was reported in 28 patients (20.9%); however, these presenting symptoms were common individually (51.5%, 48.5%, and 64.2%, respectively). Hearing loss (35.8%), facial weakness (17.9%), and vertigo (7.5%) were also reported.The most frequently cultured pathogen was Pseudomonas (34.2%), followed by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. All 134 patients underwent imaging, with computed tomography being the most frequently used modality (56.0%). Nearly all patients received antibiotic therapy (95.6%), with 91 (67.9%) undergoing surgery ranging from myringotomy (26.9%) to petrosectomy (25.4%). Five patients (5.7%) died because of complications related to PA. Mean follow-up was 11.0 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Petrous apicitis has a variable presentation with potential for severe morbidity. Mortality rates are low, and presentation with Gradenigo's triad is uncommon. Appropriate medical management with surgical drainage can avoid long-term sequelae.

How well do we know Gradenigo? A comprehensive literature review and proposal for novel diagnostic categories of Gradenigo's syndrome

Gradenigo's Syndrome is a rare complication of otitis media and/or mastoiditis resulting in inflammation of the petrous apex of the temporal bone. Here, we highlight an interesting case from our institution, summarize available pediatric cases from the past fifty years to provide an updated diagnostic categorization for this rare condition with confusing nomenclature, and suggest guidance for diagnosis and management.

A Case of Transient, Isolated Cranial Nerve VI Palsy due to Skull Base Osteomyelitis

Otitis externa affects both children and adults. It is often treated with topical antibiotics, with good clinical outcomes. When a patient fails to respond to the treatment, otitis externa can progress to malignant otitis externa. The common symptoms of skull bone osteomyelitis include ear ache, facial pain, and cranial nerve palsies. However, an isolated cranial nerve is rare. Herein, we report a case of 54-year-old female who presented with left cranial nerve VI palsy due to skull base osteomyelitis which responded to antibiotic therapy.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in children: diagnosis and treatment

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) is a pediatric stroke syndrome that occurs uncommonly in association with a number of common pediatric problems, most notably dehydration and infection-otitis media in older children, in particular. Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis involves considerable risk of morbidity and mortality. In the pediatric population, neonates are most commonly affected, but no age group is spared. The clinical manifestations of CSVT vary across age groups and include headache, nausea/vomiting, diplopia, seizures, altered mental status, cranial nerve palsies, and papilledema. Neuroimaging is critical to establishing the diagnosis, and although a variety of modalities are available, the diagnosis is most convincingly made via magnetic resonance imaging with venographic sequencing. Management of CSVT combines medical and surgical approaches and should occur in a multidisciplinary pediatric hospital setting. Anticoagulation is a controversial but generally recommended element of CSVT treatment. Prognosis is related to the extent of vessel and brain parenchymal involvement as well to timeliness of diagnosis and institution of therapy. Long-term follow-up should involve pediatric neurology and ophthalmology and, whenever indicated, rehabilitational therapy as well.

Gradenigo syndrome without acute otitis media

Acute otitis media complications are less and less common, thanks to the more widespread availability and use of adequate antibiotics. Nevertheless, when they occur, they may be inconspicuous or silent but with dangerous evolution. Described here is the case of a 5-year-old child suffering from incomplete Gradenigo syndrome without acute otitis media, which was managed medically with favorable outcome.

Benign recurrent abducens (sixth) nerve palsy

Benign recurrent abducens nerve palsy is rare. Twenty-three cases in children have been reported in the literature and many of these cases followed immunization or were associated with viral illness. Most of the reported patients share the following features: spontaneous recovery within 6 months, ipsilateral recurrence, and painless palsy. The authors describe a Turkish child with recurrent abducens nerve palsy with no obvious etiology.

Prolonged diplopia following sinus vein thrombosis mimicking Gradenigo's syndrome

We report about a boy with the symptoms of Gradenigo's syndrome (abducens nerve palsy, acute otitis media, unilateral headache). The MR imaging showed a sinus vein thrombosis instead of the expected petroapicitis. After 2 weeks of conservative therapy with antibiotics and anticoagulation, without any clinical effort the boy underwent a mastoidectomy. Headache and otitis media recovered quickly but the diplopia still remained after 25 months.