Sphenoid Sinusitis Complicated by Pneumococcal Meningitis and an Infectious Aneurysm in the Intracavernous Carotid Artery.

A 61-year-old Japanese woman presented with a headache and appetite loss lasting for nine days and was admitted to our hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis associated with acute sphenoid sinusitis. While the administration of meropenem and dexamethasone ameliorated the meningitis, right third and sixth nerve palsy suddenly developed 10 days after admission. CT angiography subsequently demonstrated an aneurysm in the cavernous portion of the right internal carotid artery. This is the first reported case of sphenoid sinusitis simultaneously complicated by both pneumococcal meningitis and an infectious aneurysm in the intracavernous carotid artery.

Isolated sinusitis sphenoidalis caused by Trichoderma longibrachiatum in an immunocompetent patient with headache.

We present a case of isolated sinusitis sphenoidalis caused by Trichoderma longibrachiatum, an emerging causal agent of fungal infections with an often fatal outcome. A Trichoderma strain was isolated from secretion obtained from the sinus sphenoidalis of a rhinosinusitis patient and identified by sequence analysis of two loci as Trichoderma longibrachiatum from the Longibrachiatum Clade of the genus Trichoderma. T. longibrachiatum can trigger a fatal pathomechanism in immunodeficient patients, but only rarely causes disease in healthy people. The case presented is unique because the patient was not immunocompromised.

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctiva injection and tearing presenting as sphenoiditis.

Headaches secondary to paranasal sinus disease are a common problem in otolaryngology practice. However, short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCTs) are an extremely rare presentation of sinusitis. We report for the first time an unusual case of acute sinusitis presenting with SUNCTs-like symptoms with radiographically-proven isolated ipsilateral sphenoiditis, without any other intracranial pathologies. This case demonstrates an additional spectrum of acute sinusitis, which should be familiar to the otolaryngologist population.

[Sphenoid sinusitis with intracranial extension produced by an emergent fungus]. / Sinupatia esfenoidal con extensión intracraneal causada por un hongo emergente.

This is a case of fungal sphenoid sinusitis in a diabetic patient with non-specific symptoms and bone erosion radiological findings in the superior and posterior sphenoid walls. Surgical treatment was performed by transnasal endoscopic approach and voriconazole orally thereafter. The histopathological study found fungus hyphal without mucosa invasion and the molecular study determined DNA to be Phialemonium curvatum, an unusual pathogen.

Intravenous voriconazole after toxic oral administration.

In a male patient with rhinocerebral invasive aspergillosis, prolonged high-dosage oral administration of voriconazole led to hepatotoxicity combined with a severe cutaneous reaction while intravenous administration in the same patient did not. High concentrations in the portal blood precipitate liver enzyme abnormalities, and therefore, oral administration of voriconazole may have a hepatotoxicity profile different from that of intravenous (i.v.) administration. Intravenously administered voriconazole might still be an option after oral-voriconazole-induced toxicity has resolved.

[Complications of bacterial rhino-sinusitis in children: a case report and a review of the literature]. / Complications des sinusites bactériennes du grand enfant. A propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

Acute sinusitis in children is a controversial issue in terms of its diagnostic criteria, classification and therapeutic management. A therapeutic delay can lead to complications if the cause is bacterial. Guidelines have been set, but they are not consensual in pediatrics. Complications of acute bacterial sinusitis are uncommon in children, but they can be extremely severe and cause high morbidity and mortality. Because of their rarity, they often are not identified early, exposing the patient to an unfavorable outcome. We report on a case of acute bacterial pan-sinusitis complicated with thrombophlebitis of the cavernous sinuses and meningitis in a 9-year-old child, in spite of early and adapted antibiotic therapy. The bacterial agent was Staphylococcus aureus, which had no resistance or toxin profile. The progression was favorable under intravenous antibiotic therapy and after bilateral sphenoidectomy. This case raises the question of the best therapy for acute bacterial sinusitis in pediatrics and the management of complications.

New treatment for invasive fungal sinusitis: three cases of chronic invasive fungal sinusitis treated with surgery and voriconazole.

Invasive fungal sinusitis is a relatively rare disease and can be divided into acute fulminant, chronic, and granulomatous invasive fungal sinusitis. The conventional treatment is radical surgery combined with systemic amphotericin B administration, but the poor prognosis and unestablished treatment options require a better therapeutic strategy. We report three cases of chronic invasive fungal sinusitis successfully treated with a combination of surgery and voriconazole, a new antifungal agent, with good responses in all patients. Voriconazole administration could form the basis for a new standard treatment for invasive fungal sinusitis.

Lemierre syndrome caused by acute isolated sphenoid sinusitis and its intracranial complications.

Classically, Lemierre syndrome is a rare clinical entity in which acute oropharyngeal infection causes septic internal jugular vein thrombosis and leads to septic lesions to distant organs, such as the lung. Lemierre syndrome also presents with odontogenic infections, mastoiditis, parotitis, and sinusitis. We report the first case of Lemierre syndrome following acute isolated sphenoid sinusitis that was complicated with cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis and bilateral infectious aneurysms of the intracavernous internal carotid artery. Treatment with endoscopic sphenoidotomy, culture-directed antibiotics, heparinization, and endovascular GDC coiling were performed and the patient recovered without major neurologic morbidity. Immediate and intensive treatment with careful evaluation to localize the primary infectious focus of the head and neck, including the paranasal sinus, improves the prognosis of patients with rhinogenic Lemierre syndrome.

An acute ischemic stroke secondary to sphenoid sinusitis.

Acute isolated sphenoid sinusitis is a relatively uncommon entity. Because its symptoms and clinical findings are nonspecific, it can be easily misdiagnosed. Left unrecognized and untreated, it can lead to several well-known and severe complications, including meningitis, cerebral abscess, cavernous sinus thrombosis, and epidural or subdural empyema. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman with acute sphenoid sinusitis complicated by ischemic stroke in the left caudate nucleus, lentiform nucleus, and posterior part of the internal capsule. The stroke was diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging. Also, magnetic resonance angiography showed a narrowing of the internal carotid artery and a narrowing of the first part of the left anterior and middle cerebral arteries (A1 and M1 segments). The patient was treated with medical therapy, including antibiotics, and surgical drainage of the sphenoid sinus via an endoscopic approach. Her outcome was good, and she experienced minimal neurologic sequelae. We discuss the possible explanations for this rare complication.

Invasive Aspergillus terreus sinusitis with orbitocranial extension: case report.

BACKGROUND: Aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses is infrequent and usually involves the species Aspergillus fumigatus and A. flavus. The maxillary sinus is the most common sinus to be affected. Invasive cranio-orbital aspergillosis originating in the sphenoid sinus is rare and mostly occurs in immunocompromised patients with poor outcomes. We present a case of invasive A. terreus sphenoidal sinusitis with intraorbital and intracranial extension in an immunocompetent patient. CASE DESCRIPTION: This 62-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of left retroorbital pain followed by rapid decreasing vision and 2 episodes of epistaxis. Ophthalmologic examination revealed no light perception left. Computed tomographic scan and MR images demonstrated an enhanced sphenoid lesion within the left sphenoid sinus with bone destruction and intraorbital and cavernous sinus extensions. A malignant tumor was suspected. The patient underwent a transphenoidal biopsy of the sphenoid mass. Histologic analysis revealed numerous Aspergillus hyphea, and the species A. terreus was isolated from fungal cultures of specimens. No systemic fungal infection was found, and the patient had no evidence of immunosuppression. After 3 months' administration of oral voriconazole, the patient became well, and the orbitocranial mass regressed in size. It was stabilized on the ninth postoperative month. CONCLUSION: A. terreus sinusitis with orbitocranial extension had never been reported in the literature. Even in an immunocompetent host, ISOA is difficult to eradicate using surgical debridement combined with optimal antifungal agents because of the intracranial extension and the relative resistance of conventional antifungal therapy. Early diagnosis is important to prevent an unfavorable outcome of this emergent infection.

[Sepsis in the sphenoiditis patient]. / Posocznica u pacjentki z zapaleniem zatoki klinowej.

INTRODUCTION: We present a case of sepsis caused by isolated sphenoiditis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The case being described concerns 61-year-old woman treated at the Department of Occupational Diseases of Wroclaw Medical University due to body temperature maintaining for 2 months at above 38 degrees C, leucocytosis reaching 14-16 thousand and weight loss of about 4 kg. Detailed diagnostics did not confirm the preliminary diagnosis of system or neoplastic disease. Bacteriological blood examination revealed the presence of staphylococcus aureus susceptible to Vancomycin and Tienam. The attempt of pharmacological treatment did not produced the expected effect. NMR examination of the facial skeleton proved partial shadowing of the Sphenoidal sinus. The patient was admitted for surgical treatment. After the sphenoidal sinus was cut open, mucopurulent contents was found inside. During microbiological examination, staphylococcus aureus with identical susceptibility was cultured from the mucopurulent contents. After 3-week guided antibiotic therapy, permanent temperature regression and permanent improvement of the patient's condition were achieved. RESULTS: Surgical treatment combined with intensive antibiotic therapy caused the complete regression of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Isolated sphenoiditis occurs rarely but it still is a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Diagnosis delay and disease progress may lead to life-threatening complications.

Invasive sphenoidal aspergillosis: successful treatment with sphenoidotomy and voriconazole.

Treatment of invasive sphenoidal aspergillosis is surgical, followed by antifungal therapy, mostly amphotericin B. To optimize the adjuvant antifungal treatment, which is often limited by severe side effects, the new triazole antifungal agent voriconazole with broad coverage of fungal pathogens including Aspergillus was investigated in a study of 4 patients with clinical, radiological and histological signs of invasive sphenoidal aspergillosis. They first underwent endoscopic sphenoidotomy with drainage and extraction of the fungal mass. Postoperatively, 2 patients were immediately treated with voriconazole. Two patients initially received amphotericin B; but this treatment had to be stopped because of acute renal toxicity. Finally, all patients were treated orally with 200 mg voriconazole twice a day for 12-14 weeks. After this combined treatment all patients were asymptomatic and there were no endoscopic or radiological signs of residual fungal disease. The only side effects were nausea in one and transient visual disturbances in 2 other patients. In the 4 patients presented and treated, voriconazole was shown to be effective and less toxic than amphotericin B in adjuvant treatment of invasive sphenoidal aspergillosis.

[Successful treatment of invasive sinus aspergillosis with micafungin and itraconazole].

BACKGROUND: We report a case of invasive sinus aspergillosis that extended to the orbital cavity and cavernous sinus and was improved by treatment with micafungin and itraconazole. CASE REPORT: A 83-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of headache and impaired of eye movement on the right side. Physical examination revealed impaired function of cranial nerves, II, II, IV, and VI on the right side. MRI showed evidence of inflammation of the right sphenoid sinus and ethmoidal sinus and an enhancing mass in the right cavernous sinus and orbit. Because a culture of a specimen from the right sphenoid sinus extracted during endoscopic sinus surgery, yielede Aspergillus fumigatus, a diagnosed of invasive sinus aspergillosis complicated by cavernous sinus symdrome and orbital apex symdrome was made. It was difficult to completely remove the mass in the sinuses surgically and drug therapy with micafungin was started and then itraconazole was added. The clinical manifestations and the impaired function of cranial nerves II, III, IV, and VI improved, and MRI showed regression of the mass in the sinuses temporary in response to drug therapy. CONCLUSION: Invasive sinus aspergillosis often progresses rapidly in the absence of surgery. Our case is valuable, because invasive sinus aspergillosis was improved by drug therapy alone, and combined treatment with micafungin and itraconazole was effective.

Orbital cellulitis and irreversible visual loss owing to acute sinusitis.

We report a case with orbital cellulitis and irreversible visual loss caused by asymptomatic acute sinusitis in a patient without symptoms or history of sinusitis. The prompt use of intravenous antibiotics in combination with early surgical drainage may prevent irreversible visual loss in the affected eye, and threatened visual loss in the fellow eye can be reduced.

Does Helicobacter pylori play a role in upper respiratory tract inflammation? A case report.

Persistent isolated inflammation of the sphenoid sinus, an entity that is not diagnosed very often, poses a challenge to clinicians and researchers alike. Its features tend to suggest that its etiopathogenesis is different from that of more common forms of chronic rhinosinusitis. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman who had a history of distressing chronic postnasal drip and a globus sensation with opacification of the sphenoid sinus. She was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux, and Helicobacter pylori was detected in her gastric contents and in the inflamed mucosa of the sphenoid sinus, as well. Complete symptom relief was achieved only after she had undergone surgical sphenoidotomy and treatment with anti-H pylori medication. We discuss the potential for this ubiquitous gastric bacterium to play a role in at least some forms of chronic sinonasal inflammation.

Septic right superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis complicated by left sphenoid sinusitis.

We report a case of septic right superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis complicated by left sphenoid sinusitis with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Early recognition by clinical symptoms, and computed tonography (CT) and magnetic resolution image (MRI) of the head and sinus is needed for prompt surgical drainage of the sinus and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The use of steroids and anticoagulation for this condition is still debated.