Complication of otitis media leads to opisthotonos in a toddler

Opisthotonos, extreme involuntary neck and back extension, is rarely seen in modern emergency departments. Vaccines have prevented the most common causes of this clinical presentation. Alternatively, otitis media is one of the most common pediatric infections and is characteristically non-invasive and harmless. In exceedingly rare cases, otitis media can develop complications and progress to invasive pneumococcal diseases including mastoiditis and meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae accounts for the majority of otitis media infections, however, since the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) otitis media and its complications have decreased significantly. The present case reports of a previously healthy and immunized child presenting to a pediatric emergency department (PED) with opisthotonos, and was found to have pneumococcal meningitis, bacteremia and mastoiditis arising from otitis media.