OSTEOMYELITIS OF THE SKULL BASE - THE ROLE OF HIGH-RESOLUTION CT IN DIAGNOSIS

Osteomyelitis of the skull base (involving the temporal, occipital or sphenoid bones) is an uncommon condition occurring in elderly diabetic patients which was almost always fatal in the pre-antibiotic era. Des pite the advent of effective antibiotics against the usual causative o rganism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the mortality remains high and is rel ated to delay in diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. We report thre e cases of osteomyelitis of the skull base, in order to illustrate the difficulties encountered in diagnosis and management. The CT scan app earances, which would appear to be typical for the disease, are descri bed and the pathogenesis of skull base osteomyelitis is discussed.