title: Intracranial complications of suppurative otitis media: 13 years' experience.
abstract: Among 24,321 patients with otitis media treated at the Otolaryngology Department of Chiang Mai University Hospital from 1978 through 1990, 87 patients had 140 central nervous system complications (0.36%). Multiple complications existed simultaneously in almost 45% of the patients. The group developing the complications were mainly in their second decade of life. Meningitis occurred in 43 patients, brain abscess in 29, perisinus abscess in 23, lateral sinus thrombosis in 16, and extradural abscess in 12 patients. The most striking symptoms and signs were increasing otorrhea, visible cholesteatoma and/or granulations, fever, headache and otalgia, and vestibular symptoms. Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and staphylococcal organisms were found in almost 80% of patients. Overall mortality was 18.4% with brain abscess being the main cause (31%). Epidemiologic presentation, clinical features, and results of treatment for each disease are compared and contrasted to those of previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kangsanarak
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navacharoen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fooanant
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruckphaopunt
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000209:etiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification