Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Recurrent bacterial meningitis in a case of Crouzon syndrome after craniofacial surgery

Yoshiharu Nakae, M.D.1)*, Megumi Shimamura, M.D.1), Tatsuya Takahashi, M.D.1) and Yoshiyuki Kuroiwa, M.D.2)

1)Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University Medical Center
*Department of Neurology, Yokohama Minamikyosai Hospital
2)Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine

A 29-year-old woman, who was diagnosed as Crouzon syndrome for which two cranio-facial surgeries had been performed as a child and at the age of 19, developed high fever, headache, and confusion for two days. She was admitted to our hospital. She was diagnosed as bacterial meningitis by cerebrospinal fluid examinations, and her condition was immediately improved by antibiotics. At the age of 23, she also suffered from bacterial meningitis caused by otitis media and sinusitis, and recovered by antibiotics with no sequela. Her cranial computed tomography showed sphenoid and ethmoid sinusitis, and bone deformation and hypertrophy with no fistula connecting intracranial space and sinus. Dead space by cranio-facial surgeries might cause the development of chronic or recurrent sinusitis leading to bacterial meningitis. Our patient is the second case of recurrent bacterial meningitis with Crouzon syndrome to our knowledge. We should recognize that recurrent sinusitis with Crouzon syndrome after cranio-facial surgery is a risk of recurrent meningitis.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 47: 665|668, 2007)
key words: Crouzon syndrome, craniofacial surgery, bacterial meningitis, chronic sinusitis

(Received: 21-Feb-07)