title: Meningitis and brain abscess presenting with epistaxis in a woman with prior head and neck cancer.
abstract: It is estimated that more than 60% of people have epistaxis in their lifetimes, and as such it is a common complaint encountered in emergency medicine. Although epistaxis is usually self-limited and benign, it can occasionally be a sign of serious underlying pathology. We report a case of epistaxis secondary to invasive squamous cell cancer, ultimately leading to pneumocephalus and brain abscess. We recommend a low threshold for neuroimaging in patients with known prior head and neck cancers presenting with epistaxis, as even resolved epistaxis may be related to serious pathology.
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's University Health Network, 801 Ostrum Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's University Health Network, 801 Ostrum Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5921-5263
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jeanmonod