Petrositis with inferior cranial nerves involvement: a case report

ABSTRACT

Petrositis, osteomyelitis of temporal bone, is a rare complication of middle ear infection or mastoiditis. Symptoms reported in patients with petrositis are otalgia, deep facial pain, headache, otorrhea, fever, coma and cranial nerve paralysis. Current diagnostic tests for this complication include high-resolution CT scan, brain MRI and bone scan with Technetium, Gallium and Indium 1-11. A 34 years old lady with left multiple cranial nerves palsies of VII, VIII, IX, X, XII is presented. She had a history of otitis media and then mastoiditis in left side 6 months ago which was underwent tympanomastoidectomy. In radiological studies there was involvement of parameninge tissue next to petrous bone. Gallium scan was highly suggestive for petrous osteomyelitis. She was treated with empiric parenteral antibiotics and her symptoms resolved completely