Neurosurgical Intervention in the Treatment of Gradenigo Syndrome: A Case Report

Gradenigo syndrome comprises a clinical triad: retro-orbital pain, sixth cranial nerve palsy, and purulent otorrhea. This clinical syndrome often arises secondary to petrous apicitis, which is an infection of the petrous apex that may result from the contiguous spread of infection from the ear or mastoid. This syndrome is very rare, and based on the existing literature, the initial approach for treatment involves long-term administration of IV antibiotics, which may resolve the underlying infection related to petrous apicitis, mastoiditis, and/or otitis media. In this case, the patient, a 69-year-old male, had a progression of several symptoms, including recurrent headaches, diplopia, hearing loss, and dysphagia, despite long-term antibiotic therapy and a prior mastoidectomy. Thus, the neurosurgical team decided to intervene via anterior petrous bone resection via the Kawase approach, which unfortunately did not result in the resolution of the patient's symptoms. The patient continued to have symptoms of Gradenigo syndrome, including sixth cranial nerve palsy and was subsequently referred to outpatient follow-up for further management. In this report, we present the patient's case and a brief review of the literature concerning various treatment modalities for Gradenigo syndrome.

Acute Bacterial Meningitis and Petrous Apicitis in a Child with Aplasia Cutis Congenita: A Case Report

Petrous apicitis and acute bacterial meningitis are uncommon in the present antibiotic era. The diagnosis of petrous apicitis is seldom considered unless there is cranial nerve palsy. A young child with aplasia cutis congenita presented with acute bacterial meningitis and an incidental opacified left mastoid in brain imaging. During the course, fever persisted, and high-resolution temporal bone imaging showed rapid progression to coalescent mastoiditis, petrous apicitis with erosions of tegmen tympani, and petrous apex. Other findings included bony dehiscences and thinning of left calvaria. Tympanomastoid exploration showed herniated brain and cerebrospinal fluid leak through tegmen tympani, which was closed with temporalis fascia graft. Herein, we report a rare presentation of petrous and tegmen erosion along with aplasia cutis congenita and discuss the challenges in diagnosis and management.

Steroid-Responsive Gradenigo's Syndrome Mimicking Subdural Hematoma

Gradenigo's syndrome (GS) is featured by a clinical triad of otorrhea, retro-orbital pain, and a sixth nerve palsy. Clinical examination is crucial prior to considering neuroimaging. The majority of cases are secondary to infection thus requiring long-term broad-spectrum antibiotics; severe cases also require surgical intervention for risk of intracranial abscess or even death. The patient was a 35-year-old female who presented with right temporal headache and right retro-orbital pain. The initial diagnosis from the local clinic was of subdural hemorrhage. Cranial nerve (CN) VI paresis was noted upon examination and inflammatory process was documented based on brain MR. The patient was diagnosed with Gradenigo's syndrome and administered antibiotics and steroids. Symptoms recurred after cessation of steroids and once antibiotics-related fever developed. The symptoms resolved after stopping the antibiotics and reintroducing steroids. The MRI performed after three months recorded no brain inflammation. We report a Gradenigo's syndrome caused by chronic inflammation with good response to steroids. To our best knowledge, there were merely approximately 80 patients who were reported with Gradnigo or Gradenigo's syndrome before. Infection comprised 76% of cases, thus broad-spectrum and long-term antibiotics use have been emphasized instead of steroid use. However, steroids also play an important role in reducing nerve injury by edematous change.

Case Report: Petrous Apicitis and Otogenic Thrombosis of the Cavernous Sinus in a 10-Year-Old Boy

Background: Petrous apicitis and cavernous sinus thrombosis are exceedingly rare complications of acute otitis media with only few reported cases in the post-antibiotic era. Especially in children, the appropriate management is a subject of controversy. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 10-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with left-sided otalgia, otorrhea, and hearing loss, accompanied by somnolence and high spiking fevers. CT and MRI revealed partially obstructed mastoid air cells including a pneumatized petrous apex. Furthermore, thrombosis of the cavernous sinus and vasculitis of the internal carotid artery on the left side were present. The patient was treated with antibiotics for 6 weeks and anticoagulant therapy for 3 months. Follow-up carried out 3 months post-admission showed complete recanalization of the cavernous sinus on MRI and fatigue as the only remaining symptom. Conclusion: A complicated otitis media with petrous apicitis and cavernous sinus thrombosis in a child can in some cases be managed without a surgical intervention.

Conservative management of petrous apex abscess and Gradenigo's syndrome in a diabetic patient: Case report and literature review

The case reported evidences the possibility of nonsurgical treatment in patients with abscesses located in regions difficult to reach surgically due to surgical limitations or possible sequelae related to surgical procedure.

Delayed diagnosed Gradenigo's syndrome associated with acute otitis media

Gradenigo’s syndrome presents as a triad of retroorbital pain, ipsilateral abducens palsy, and purulent otorrhea. If the otologic pathologies in Gradenigo’s syndrome go unnoticed, the condition could be misdiagnosed with neurological diseases because of retroorbital pain and abducens palsy. Treatment of Gradenigo’s syndrome remains controversial. Although some reports state that long-term antibiotic treatment is sufficient, we recommended that management ought to be guided on a case-by-case basis depending on patient and disease factors. Herein, we report a delayed diagnosed pediatric case of Gradenigo’s syndrome associated with acute otitis media that was treated with ventilation tube insertion.

Headache in Petrous Apicitis: A Case Report of Chronic Migraine-like Headache Due to Peripheral Pathology

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of petrous apicitis that manifested as chronic migraine without aura and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms behind this presentation.

BACKGROUND

Petrous apicitis is a rare complication of acute otitis media with varied clinical presentations that stem from the close proximity of the petrous apex to numerous neurovascular structures. Headache is among the common symptoms of petrous apicitis.

METHODS

A case of new onset headache in the setting of petrous apicitis with symptomatic response to antibiotic therapy was reported. We provided a brief review of peripheral pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine and correlated to mechanism of headache in petrous apicitis.

RESULTS

A 65-year-old man with chronic otitis externa/media presented with ongoing headache fulfilling International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-3) criteria for chronic migraine without aura that persisted despite undergoing right mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty with multiple courses of oral antibiotic therapy for his chronic otitis. MRI brain revealed petrous apicitis, otomastoiditis, and clival osteomyelitis. His imaging findings improved and his migraine-like headache completely resolved after treatment with a prolonged course of antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

Petrous apicitis can present as a headache with features of migraine, and in this case in particular, as chronic migraine without aura. The pathophysiological mechanisms that may underlie the generation of migraine-like headache in petrous apicitis may include the activation of nociceptive fibers within the periosteum of the petrous apex and clivus whose cell bodies originate in the trigeminal ganglion and upper cervical dorsal root ganglia. By treating the peripheral pathology, resolution of the headache may be achieved.

Gradenigo's syndrome secondary to chronic otitis media on a background of previous radical mastoidectomy: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Gradenigo's syndrome is nowadays a rare condition characterized by a triad of otorrhea, facial pain with trigeminal nerve involvement and abducens nerve palsy. Most cases are caused by medial extension of acute otitis media into a pneumatized petrous apex and surgical drainage is usually the treatment of choice. We present a case highlighting the pathological mechanism of this disease, demonstrate rare radiological findings associated with this patient, and showcase successful medical treatment without surgical intervention.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 63-year-old Thai man presented with complete Gradenigo triad as a complication of chronic otomastoiditis in spite of clinical history of previous radical mastoidectomy and a nonpneumatization of the petrous apex. Magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal prominent enhancement at the roof of his right temporal bone, and the dura overlying the floor of right middle cranial fossa and right cavernous sinus. Magnetic resonance imaging also detected right petrous apicitis. With the use of intravenous antibiotics and topical antibiotic eardrops, recovery was observed within 5 days with complete resolution within 2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there is little evidence to support the use of medical therapy in the treatment of Gradenigo's syndrome resulting from chronic ear disease, we here demonstrate successful conservative treatment of Gradenigo's syndrome following chronic otitis media in a patient who underwent previous radical mastoidectomy.