title: Primary intranasal encephalocele: a rare cause of bacterial meningitis.
abstract: In four patients with bacterial meningitis a primary intranasal encephalocele was found as portal of entry. In two of the cases the malformation had been misdiagnosed as a nasal polyp and operated upon. In two patients a cerebrospinal fluid fistula developed spontaneously at the age of 54 years. None of the patients had associated symptoms indicating the presence of a cleft. Encephaloceles can be readily visualized by computed tomography particularly in coronal sections. The treatment of choice is transcranial surgical repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berlit
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakicky
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tornow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed