Chemical Meningitis after a Golf Swing-induced Dermoid Cyst Rupture

Abstract

A 51-year-old man developed a sudden headache during golf practice, followed by a high fever. He was admitted with suspected neutrophilic meningitis and was diagnosed with chemical meningitis caused by a dermoid cyst rupture based on the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, which showed multiple lipid droplets in his ventricle and cistern. His repetitive golf-swing motion was suggested to be the cause of his dermoid cyst rupture. On MRI, the lipid droplets appeared to have migrated by gravity because of the body position. Therefore, the body position should be considered to prevent obstructive hydrocephalus by lipid droplets after a dermoid cyst rupture.

Intracranial neurenteric cyst with post-operative chemical meningitis and vagal nerve palsy

“…The mechanism of action is believed to be secondary to the leakage of cyst contents into the subarachnoid space [2] . To date, several cases of chemical meningitis as a result of leakage of intracranial cystic contents have been described in the literature, including a recurrent case of chemical meningitis caused by a leaking craniopharyngioma [13] and a few cases related to ruptured epidermoid cysts [14 , 15] and ruptured dermoid cyst [16] . Since the occurrence of neurenteric cysts is exceedingly rare in comparison to the other intracranial lesions, cases of chemical meningitis in association with neurenteric cysts are quite uncommon.…”