title: Bacterial meningitis secondary to a transethmoidal encephalocele presenting to the emergency department.
abstract: We present the case of a patient seen in the Emergency Department (ED) at the height of enteroviral meningitis season with the chief complaint of the worst headache of his life. He was subsequently found to have pneumococcal meningitis as the result of an encephalocele located within the left ethmoid sinus. The key features of the patient's past medical history, the steps to diagnosis, and a discussion of this exceedingly rare entity are detailed.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005004:Ethmoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008588:Meningocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002443:Ceftriaxone