Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer

It is estimated that more than 60% of people have epistaxis in their lifetimes, and as such it is a common complaint encountered in emergency medicine. Although epistaxis is usually self-limited and benign, it can occasionally be a sign of serious underlying pathology. We report a case of epistaxis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Danielle Cross, Rebecca Jeanmonod
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Otolaryngology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/460208
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850166953578070016
author Danielle Cross
Rebecca Jeanmonod
author_facet Danielle Cross
Rebecca Jeanmonod
author_sort Danielle Cross
collection DOAJ
description It is estimated that more than 60% of people have epistaxis in their lifetimes, and as such it is a common complaint encountered in emergency medicine. Although epistaxis is usually self-limited and benign, it can occasionally be a sign of serious underlying pathology. We report a case of epistaxis secondary to invasive squamous cell cancer, ultimately leading to pneumocephalus and brain abscess. We recommend a low threshold for neuroimaging in patients with known prior head and neck cancers presenting with epistaxis, as even resolved epistaxis may be related to serious pathology.
format Article
id doaj-art-e1233baefa414d1fa5fd7d088d59684d
institution OA Journals
issn 2090-6765
2090-6773
language English
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Case Reports in Otolaryngology
spelling doaj-art-e1233baefa414d1fa5fd7d088d59684d2025-08-20T02:21:17ZengWileyCase Reports in Otolaryngology2090-67652090-67732015-01-01201510.1155/2015/460208460208Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck CancerDanielle Cross0Rebecca Jeanmonod1St. Luke’s University Health Network, 801 Ostrum Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USASt. Luke’s University Health Network, 801 Ostrum Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USAIt is estimated that more than 60% of people have epistaxis in their lifetimes, and as such it is a common complaint encountered in emergency medicine. Although epistaxis is usually self-limited and benign, it can occasionally be a sign of serious underlying pathology. We report a case of epistaxis secondary to invasive squamous cell cancer, ultimately leading to pneumocephalus and brain abscess. We recommend a low threshold for neuroimaging in patients with known prior head and neck cancers presenting with epistaxis, as even resolved epistaxis may be related to serious pathology.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/460208
spellingShingle Danielle Cross
Rebecca Jeanmonod
Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
Case Reports in Otolaryngology
title Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
title_full Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
title_fullStr Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
title_full_unstemmed Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
title_short Meningitis and Brain Abscess Presenting with Epistaxis in a Woman with Prior Head and Neck Cancer
title_sort meningitis and brain abscess presenting with epistaxis in a woman with prior head and neck cancer
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/460208
work_keys_str_mv AT daniellecross meningitisandbrainabscesspresentingwithepistaxisinawomanwithpriorheadandneckcancer
AT rebeccajeanmonod meningitisandbrainabscesspresentingwithepistaxisinawomanwithpriorheadandneckcancer