Skull Base Osteomyelitis With Bilateral Acute Otitis Media - Cureus
Skull base osteomyelitis is an inflammatory process that usually occurs secondary to necrotizing otitis externa or chronic mastoid infections. The involvement of the external auditory canal is typical of this condition and aids in its diagnosis. The treatment of skull base osteomyelitis is often complex and involves long-term intravenous antibiotics. Skull base osteomyelitis originating from the middle ear is a rare entity. We report a case of skull base osteomyelitis originating from the bilateral otitis media. Introduction Lateral skull base osteomyelitis (SBO), otherwise known as necrotizing otitis externa (NOE), is a severe invasive infection of the external auditory canal, temporomandibular joint, and skull base, which occurs by spread from the external ear canal through the fissures of Santorini and the osseocartilaginous junction. Diagnosis of NOE is based on history, physical examination, inflammatory markers, and radiological studies. Elevated C-reactive protein (C...