Mastoiditis, petrositis and lateral sinus thrombosis; report of an unusual case.

Abstract

THIS CASE deserves reporting because of the unusual combination of etiologic factors and the severity of the illness from which the child, at least in part, recovered. REPORT OF CASE L. J., a 4-year-old Navajo girl, was admitted to the Phoenix Medical Center hospital on Nov. 19, 1951, with a questionable history of bilateral aural discharge and vaginal discharge of three weeks' duration. Physical examination on admission revealed a poorly nourished child with a rectal temperature of 99.6 F. Examination of the ears showed that there was a large central perforation on the right, with a moderate amount of purulent discharge. The left tympanic membrane was completely destroyed, and there was a large defect in the annulus posteriorly. There was a pulsating foul-smelling thick purulent discharge. There was generalized lymphadenopathy, this being most marked in the left postauricular and left anterior and posterior cervical regions. There was left facial weakness.