Background: Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is an infection of the central cranial bones, most commonly resulting from contiguous spread of infection from adjacent head and neck structures. SBO is a well-recognized complication of treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) that results in significant morbidity.
Methods:We conducted a retrospective chart review of HNC patients diagnosed with SBO.Results: SBO was commonly diagnosed with nasal endoscopy showing mucosal breakdown between the naso/oropharynx and skull base and with characteristic changes on CT/MRI. Culture data were often polymicrobial, inclusive of naso/ oropharyngeal flora, but half of the patients additionally had antibiotic-resistant or atypical pathogens. The mean duration of antimicrobial therapy was 117 +/À 94 days. Recurrent SBO was found in half of the patients, associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and with persistent defects in the mucosa abutting the skull base.Conclusions: Diagnosis and management of SBO in HNC patients are challenging.Recommendations to aid in clinical care are proposed.Level of evidence: 4, case series.head and neck cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, osteoradionecrosis, skull base osteomyelitis
| INTRODUCTIONSkull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is an infection of the central cranial bones, involving parts of the sphenoid, occipital, and/or temporal bones. These infections most commonly result from contiguous extension of infection from the ear, paranasal sinuses, and/or nasooropharyngeal cavity. 1,2 SBO is classically and most commonly described in patients with uncontrolled diabetes who have otitis externa complicated by temporal bone osteomyelitis with extension into the central skull base. 3,4 However, SBO is increasingly being described in other patient populations.Our clinical experience demonstrates a significant number of SBO cases occurring in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), though there are only limited case reports describing SBO in HNC patients. 5,6 Patients with HNC have underlying anatomic abnormalities resulting from tumor destruction, surgical intervention(s), and/or