Petrositis caused by fluconazole-resistant candida: case report and literature review

BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Jul 27;22(1):649. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07637-3.

Abstract

Background: Petrositis is a rare and fatal complication associated with otitis media. It is most likely caused by bacterial infections, but in some cases it is caused by fungal infections.

Case study: The case in this report is associated with fungal petrositis. The clinical symptoms are: ear pain from chronic otitis media, severe headache, peripheral facial palsy and diplopia. The case was finally confirmed through imaging of middle ear, bacterial culture, pathology, and blood Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test. The patient was treated with sensitive antifungal drugs.

Conclusion: Drug treatment is conservative but efficient method in this case. mNGS can provide pathogenic reference, when antibiotic is not efficient enough for fungal infections or drug-resistant fungal infections cases. This allows we to adjust drug use for the treatment.

Keywords: Candida; Diagnoses; Drug treatment; Gradenigo's syndrome; Petrositis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Candida / genetics
  • Fluconazole / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Otitis Media* / complications
  • Otitis Media* / drug therapy
  • Petrositis* / complications
  • Petrositis* / diagnosis

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Fluconazole