1/30. Gas-containing otogenic brain abscess.BACKGROUND: Gas-containing brain abscesses are very rare. Two mechanisms may be responsible for the presence of intracavitary gas: bacterial fermentation or penetration through an abnormal communication between the exterior and the intracranium. The need to search for this potential communication is considered an indication for open surgery. We report the case of a surgically treated gas-containing brain abscess originating from an undiagnosed chronic otitis media. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 54-year-old man developed acute neurologic deterioration, becoming comatose within 24 hours. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan disclosed a gas-containing cystic mass in the right temporal lobe. Urgent surgical decompression revealed the presence of an abscess, which was excised. During the same surgery, we performed a radical mastoidectomy, removing a previously undiagnosed attic cholesteatoma. Neither procedure revealed a discontinuity of the floor of the middle cranial fossa. Cultures grew a mixed flora. Antibiotics were administered for 6 weeks. The patient made a complete neurologic recovery. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates that otogenic brain abscesses may contain gas due to fermentation of nonclostridial bacteria.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/30. temporomandibular joint involvement in malignant external otitis.OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present 6 patients with malignant external otitis (MEO) that resulted in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement and to discuss the incidence, clinical presentation, and treatment modalities. STUDY DESIGN: All patients diagnosed with MEO between 1994 and 2002 were reviewed for cases in which the TMJ was invaded by the infectious process. Only patients in whom TMJ involvement was documented radiographically and in whom the clinical course was well documented were included in this study. RESULTS: MEO was diagnosed in 42 patients over an 8-year period; TMJ involvement was recorded in 6 patients (14%). The medical history revealed controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus in 4 of the 6 patients. All patients reported early ear symptoms, mainly otalgia and otorrhea. Local signs included an ear canal filled with granulation material, edematous overlying skin, and sensitivity to palpation. Cultures taken from the external ear were positive for either pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus epidermidis, aspergillus, or proteus mirabilis. TMJ symptoms developed between 1 and 5 months after admission and included painful periauricular swelling and trismus. In 3 patients, healing was uneventful; 3 also died of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: TMJ involvement in MEO is associated with a resistant disease process, often with several recurrences. Prolonged administration of antibiotics is the treatment of choice. Surgical debridement of the TMJ is necessary for the positive identification of the pathogenic organism, in cases of abscess formation, or when osteomyelitic bone destruction of the condyle and glenoid fossa develop.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/30. pseudomonas infections in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.Thirteen bacteremias and 25 nonbacteremic infections caused by Pseudomonas spp. occurred in 22 of 236 children with human immunodeficiency virus infection with a rate of infection of 0.098 (bacteremia, 0.030) per patient year. Four patients were neutropenic (less than 500/microliters). Central venous catheter (CVC)-related infections were most frequent (n = 20) followed by otitis externa (n = 6) and pneumonia (n = 5). pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common isolate and caused both CVC-related and CVC-unrelated infections, whereas other Pseudomonas spp. and xanthomonas maltophilia were almost exclusively associated with CVC-related infections. The children who received appropriate therapy had a favorable outcome. In 7 CVC-related infections (35%) the catheter was removed. Pseudomonas spp. are of increasing importance in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children causing significant morbidity and increased hospitalization. These infections may be life-threatening if appropriate therapy is not vigorously initiated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/30. Infections in patients with Shwachman-diamond syndrome.Shwachman-diamond syndrome (OMIM 260400) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by pancreatic insufficiency, bone marrow dysfunction, skeletal abnormalities and immune dysfunction. Prompted by the case of a 13-year-old girl with Shwachman-diamond syndrome who presented with pneumonia attributable to pseudomonas aeruginosa, we review infectious complications of this disease. pneumonia, recurrent otitis media and skin infections/abscesses constitute the majority of infections among these children.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/30. Rectal colonization and frequency of enterococcal cross-transmission among prolonged-stay patients in two Swedish intensive care units.The aims of this study were to gain insight into the dynamics of the rectal flora during prolonged ICU stay, with a particular focus on colonization and cross-transmission with resistant pathogens, and to evaluate methods for the rapid isolation of relevant bacteria from rectal swabs. patients admitted to a general intensive care unit (GICU) or a cardiothoracic ICU (TICU) at the University Hospital of Linkoping, sweden, between 1 November 2001 and January 2002 with a length of stay > 5 d were included (n = 20). Chromogenic UTI agar medium was used for discrimination of different species, and appropriate antibiotics were added to detect resistance. Direct plating was compared to enrichment broth for a subset of specimens. The study showed an early alteration in rectal flora, with a dramatic decrease in Gram-negative rods in favour of gram-positive bacteria. An ampicillin- and high-level gentamicin resistant clone of enterococcus faecium was found in 6 of 10 patients in the GICU and 2 of 11 patients in the TICU. Enrichment broth did not enhance the detection of gram-negative bacteria compared to direct plating on Chromogenic UTI medium, but enrichment broths were needed for optimal detection of resistant gram-positive bacteria.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.35758461919162keywords = medium (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/30. Autoimmune neutropenia of infancy with multiple brain abscesses during the course of human herpesvirus-6 infection.Autoimmune neutropenia of infancy is characterized by recurrent infections such as pneumonia, otitis media, impetigo, purulent skin regions, gastritis, and upper respiratory infection. However, severe bacterial infection is uncommon. This report documents a 9-month-old boy presenting with autoimmune neutropenia in association with multiple brain abscesses during the course of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 infection. HHV-6 has a tendency of neurovirulence, which can destroy the blood-brain barrier and facilitate the easy invasion of agents inside the brain. Although autoimmune neutropenia of infancy is benign and self limiting, it must be emphasized that severe bacterial infection will be induced by concurrent viral infection in this specific disorder.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/30. Bacterial lymphadenitis with the picture of a lymphoepithelioid cell lymphoma--Lennert's lymphoma.Three cases with the typical light microscopic picture of lymphoepithelioid cell lymphoma (so-called Lennert's lymphoma) were investigated by electron microscopy. Surprisingly, Lennert's lymphoma could be excluded in two cases. These two cases exhibited, in addition to pleomorphic lymphocytes and epithelioid cells, macrophages with accumulations of bacteria, indicating that a bacterial infection was the cause of the disease. By comparing the typical case of Lennert's lymphoma with the other cases, we found several criteria for distinguishing between Lennert's lymphoma and bacterial lymphadenitis. In bacterial lymphadenitis: (1) small and medium-sized lymphocytes exhibited a wide cytological spectrum whereas the lymphocytes in Lennert's lymphoma were relatively uniform; the lymphocytes with prominent lysosome-like granules found in Lennert's lymphoma were not seen; (2) cytology and distribution of epithelioid cells were similar to those in Lennert's lymphoma; (3) epithelioid venules contained recirculating lymphocytes, which were rarely found in Lennert's lymphoma; (4) numerous interdigitating reticulum cells, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts were seen, but not in Lennert's lymphoma; (5) focal increase in reticulin fibres was the main difference in light microscopy; (6) rod-shaped bacteria were accumulated in the cytoplasm of a few macrophages. The presence of bacteria could not be demonstrated unequivocally by light microscopy. In both cases the large number of intracytoplasmic bacteria suggests that this unusual and until now unknown lymphadenitis is the result of an infection caused by facultative intracellular parasitic bacteria. The outcome of bacterial lymphadenitis that gives the false impression of Lennert's lymphoma is uncertain. Cure was achieved in one of our cases. The other patient died before therapy was commenced.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.17879230959581keywords = medium (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/30. Pseudallescheriasis in northern Britain.Five cases of pseudallescheria boydii infection are reported from the northern part of the United Kingdom. None of the patients had travelled abroad. Three cases of otitis in which P. boydii was associated with bacterial infections were diagnosed within a 6-month period. A lady who had diabetes mellitus presented with a pulmonary fungus ball in a pre-existent cavity caused by a previous bacterial infection. After minor trauma at the site of an old skin graft, a farmer's wife developed an ulcer on the dorsum of the right ankle. Precipitating antibodies were demonstrated except in two of the cases of ear infection. The management of the individual cases is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/30. Acute suppurative parotitis caused by anaerobic bacteria: report of two cases.staphylococcus aureus is the predominant pathogen in acute suppurative parotitis. Although anaerobic bacteria are prevalent in the normal oral and upper respiratory tract flora and frequently are involved in oral and facial infections, they have seldom been isolated from patients with suppurative parotitis. It may be that a role for anaerobes in parotitis has not been documented because of inadequate specimen transport or anaerobic culture techniques. We describe two cases of acute suppurative parotitis in which cultures yielded anaerobic bacteria. In one case, no aerobes were isolated; in the other, the anaerobe was the predominant organism numerically.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/30. parotitis due to anaerobic bacteria.Although staphylococcus aureus remains the pathogen most commonly implicated in acute suppurative parotitis, the pathogenic role of gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacteria and strict anaerobic organisms in this disease is becoming increasingly recognized. This report describes a case of parotitis due to bacteroides disiens in an elderly woman with sjogren's syndrome. literature reports on seven additional cases of suppurative parotitis due to anaerobic bacteria are reviewed. Initial therapy of acute suppurative parotitis should include coverage for S. aureus and, in a very ill patient, coverage of gram-negative facultative organisms with antibiotics such as cloxacillin and an aminoglycoside. A failure to respond clinically to such a regimen or isolation of anaerobic bacteria should lead to the consideration of the addition of clindamycin or penicillin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8keywords = otitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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