title: Meningitis as a complication of tonsillectomy.
abstract: Adenotonsillar surgery remains among the most commonly-performed pediatric surgical procedures. The complication rate of tonsillectomy is generally considered to be in a range of 1-5%. Bacterial meningitis following adenotonsillectomy is a rarely reported complication. Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal acute infectious disease caused by a variety of micro-organisms. Current case fatality rates associated with this entity can be as low as 2% in infants and children and as high as 30% in neonates. The successful management of meningitis depends on early clinical suspicion and diagnosis, with prompt medical treatment using high-dose, broad-spectrum antibiotics that adequately cross the blood-brain barrier. We present a case of meningitis complicating a tonsillectomy procedure, in a 7-year-old girl. The diagnosis and treatment of this rare complication is illustrated, and the possible etiology is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nikolidakis
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bizakis
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Skoulakis
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Velegrakis
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kokori
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Helidonis
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*