Lateral sinus thrombosis as a complication of acute otitis media in children. A case report and literature review

Abstract

Acute otitis media is a common disease in children and generally has a benign course. During recent decades, the use of antibiotics and associated surgical treatments has decreased the incidence of the complications of acute otitis media in 10 times, as well as the mortality which currently is less than 10%. According to their location, the complications can be classified in intratemporal or intracranial. Lateral sinus thrombosis is one of the most common intracranial complications of acute otitis media. The present study reports the case of a 5 year old child who was referred to our Department of Otolaryngology for acute otitis media complicated with mastoiditis and subperiosteal abscess. He underwent a mastoidectomy and the abscess was drained. Four days after surgery the child presented headache, nonexplosive vomiting and papilledema. Lateral sinus thrombosis was identified by magnetic resonance venography. We present a literature review on the management of this pathology, and, based on existing evidence, we propose an algorithm for the management of this condition because there is still no consensus for its treatment.