Chronic suppurative otitis media complicated by subdural and Bezold abscesses: A case report

Complications of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) are divided into intracranial and extracranial complications. Bezold abscess is a very rare extracranial complication with an incidence of 1.5% of the total complications of CSOM in a study conducted in China, similarly subdural abscess is a rare intracranial complication with an incidence of 0.3% in the same study. If not given proper and immediate treatment, these complications can be fatal. Head and neck computed tomography (CT) scan is the main modality for diagnosing complications of CSOM. We report the case of a 15-year-old girl with CSOM who suffered from multiple rare and life-threatening intracranial and extracranial complications. CT scan of the head and neck revealed multiple complications, including cholesteatoma with the destruction of the ossicles, a Bezold abscess inferiorly and a subdural abscess intracranially. Surgery was performed twice to remove the abscess, accompanied by antibiotic therapy according to the type of bacterial culture.