Intracranial Complications of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis-treatments, distributions and outcomes of patients with intracranial complications due to chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). Patients and Methods: Data of 42 patients (27 males, 15 gemales; mean age 31.3 years; range 9 to 74 years) diagnosed as intracranial complication due to CSOM were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were investigated on the basis of age, sex, symptoms, findings of otoscopic examination, complications, radiological evaluations, methods of management and findings at the operation. Results: Complications occurred predominantly in patients between 31 and 40 years of age (33.3%). Severe headache, nausea-vomiting, otalgia, purulent otorrhea and fever were the most common signs and symptoms. Meningitis was the most common (15 patients, 35.7%), brain abscess (14 patients, 33.3%) and lateral sinus thrombosis (10 patients, 23.8%) were second and third common complications. The overall mortality rate was 2.4% (in one patient who was comatose on admission), whereas it was 7.1% for patients with brain abscess. Conclusion: Intracranial complications of CSOM are still a serious problem due to life-threatening condition. If a patient with active CSOM has severe headache, nausea-vomiting, otalgia and fever, otogenic intracranial complication should be considered, and detailed evaluation should be performed for early diagnosis since the level of consciousness on admission is an important prognostic factor.