Recurrent Meningitis due to Growing Basal Skull Fracture of Orbital Roof: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

A 6-year old boy was admitted with high fever and redness of the right eyelids and the surrounding area. He had previously suffered cerebral contusion, basal skull fracture and pneumocephalus following a traffic accident which required six months' hospitalization. Since then, and prior to admission, he had twice suffered probable bacterial meningitis and had been treated at an outstanding hospital. At the time of this admission, the patient again developed high fever, with redness of the right eyelid and surrounding area. His symptomatology suggested bacterial meningitis and cerebrospinal fluid culture revealed Streptococcus pneumoniae sensitive to penicillin. In accordance with the clinical course of meningitis and accompanying sinusitis, the appropriate antibiotic and its duration of usage were determined. Recurrent episodes of bacterial meningitis in this child raised the possibility of anatomical defect as an a contributory factor. Computerized tomographic(CT) cisternography suggested leakage of cerebrospinal fluid and revealed herniated frontal brain tissue protruding through a gap in the right frontal skull base, three dimensional CT(3-D CT) confirmed this defect, which was 3X4cm in size. After recovery from meningitis, surery to prevent recurrent meningitis, was performed. To locate pathologic areas, the subfrontal approach,involving bicoronal skin incision and bifrontal bone flap was used. Multiple fracture lines and a large bony defect on the orbital roof were observed, together with a dural defect, through which cerebromalatic tissue was herniated as encephalocele. Using lyophilized dura, the dural defect was made watertight; the bony defect was packed with autologous fats and covered with titanium mesh. The patient improved after surgery. Recurrent meningitis with anatomical pathologic focus after head trauma requires surgical intervention.