Meningitis complicating an occult infected nasal epidermoid cyst in a child.
Congenital nasal epidermoid cyst without associated facial dysmorphism is an uncommon anomaly that is often asymptomatic. We report a case of occult nasal epidermoid cyst in a 12-year-old boy with initial nonspecific symptoms of fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. An enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a cystic lesion in the frontal skull base with expansion of the foramen cecum and the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, accompanied with meningitis. An emergent surgical intervention was undertaken, and an infected epidermoid cyst was confirmed by pathology. He recovered uneventfully during a 4-week treatment with parentally-administered antibiotics. This significant case report demonstrates the importance of MRI in the early diagnosis of a life-threatening intracranial infection from an otherwise occult infected congenital nasal epidermoid cyst in children.
Hsu
Mu-Ling
ML
Department of Pediatrics, Tri-service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen
Cheng-Yu
CY
Lien
Yiao-Hsiang
YH
Wang
Chih-Chien
CC
Yuh
Yeong-Seng
YS
Chen
Shyi-Jou
SJ
D002648:Child; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy