====== Otogenic brain abscess ======
Otogenic [[brain abscess]]es are one of the most significant life-threatening [[complication]]s of otologic [[infection]]s. Given their low [[prevalence]], otogenic brain [[abscess]]es require a high index of [[suspicion]] for [[diagnosis]]. 

In a [[systematic review]], Duarte et al. from the [[Massachusetts General Hospital]] Boston and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, aimed to provide an analysis of otogenic brain abscesses and describe common clinical [[sign]]s and [[symptom]]s, [[bacteriology]], location, [[treatment]] options, [[morbidity]], and [[mortality]].

DATA SOURCES:
[[PubMed]], [[Cochrane]] CENTRAL database, [[Google Scholar]], and [[Scopus]].

The systematic review of [[literature]] was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses recommendations. Variables assessed included clinical signs and symptoms, bacteriology, location, treatment, morbidity, and mortality.

Twenty-nine studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria, corresponding to a total of 1307 otogenic abscess cases for review. Fifty-five percent of abscesses were found in the temporal lobe and 28% in the cerebellum. Most patients (88.3%) had a history of suppurative chronic [[otitis media]]. The most common symptoms were headache, altered mental status, papilledema, and meningeal irritation. Fever, nausea, and vomiting affected about 40% of patients. The most commonly cultured bacterial species was [[Proteus mirabilis]]. In addition to [[antibiotic]]s, most otogenic brain abscesses were treated by [[burr hole]] [[aspiration]]. Average mortality following advent of computed tomography was 8.11%.

Although rare, otogenic brain abscesses may occur as a complication of suppurative otitis media and require a high index of suspicion. Appropriate imaging studies and multidisciplinary expertise are crucial in the diagnosis and management
((Duarte MJ, Kozin ED, Barshak MB, Reinshagen K, Knoll RM, Abdullah KG, Welling 
DB, Jung DH. Otogenic brain abscesses: A systematic review. Laryngoscope Investig
Otolaryngol. 2018 Apr 25;3(3):198-208. doi: 10.1002/lio2.150. eCollection 2018
Jun. PubMed PMID: 30062135; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6057212.
)).

====== Case reports ======
A case of a 36-year-old non-diabetic male patient with an otogenic [[cerebellar abscess]], who presented with no cerebellar signs and unique intraoperative ossicular chain status was successfully managed by a combined approach of otolaryngology and neurosurgery, is presented in this report
((Sunnychan S, Deshmukh P, Gaurkar SS, Panicker A, Vijayappan A. Otogenic Brain Abscess: Judicious Management in a Case of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media. Cureus. 2022 Oct 18;14(10):e30430. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30430. PMID: 36407212; PMCID: PMC9671137.)).