Endoscopic Transnasal Navigation Guided Treatment of Clivus Abscess in Adult with Mucormycosis: A Rare Report

Sarang Gotecha1, Ashish Chugh1, Prashant Punia1

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Center, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra 411018 India.

Insights

Clival osteomyelitis, a rare skull base infection, can occur in adults. This case report details the successful endoscopic surgical treatment of a clival abscess in an immunocompetent adult.

Area of Science:

  • Skull Base Infections
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Clival osteomyelitis and abscess are rare, potentially life-threatening skull base infections.
  • These conditions are typically associated with contiguous spread from paranasal sinuses and are uncommon in adults.
  • The pathophysiology of clival osteomyelitis remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a rare case of clival osteomyelitis and abscess in an immunocompetent adult.
  • To highlight the utility of an image-guided endoscopic approach for diagnosis and surgical treatment of clival abscesses.

Main Methods:

  • A case report of a 32-year-old immunocompetent female presenting with headache.
  • Utilized an image-guided endoscopic surgical approach for localization and treatment of the clival abscess.

Main Results:

  • Successful surgical localization and treatment of a clival abscess were achieved using an image-guided endoscopic technique.
  • The patient presented with headache as the primary symptom, without significant prior medical history.

Conclusions:

  • An image-guided endoscopic approach is effective for managing clival abscesses in adults.
  • This case expands the understanding of clival osteomyelitis presentation and management in the adult population.