Navigating the complexity of skull base osteomyelitis: a case study and comprehensive review

Skull base osteomyelitis is a rare and life-threatening infection of the skull base, commonly seen in elderly diabetic patients as a result of otogenic or paranasal infection. The diagnosis is based on a series of arguments, including a high clinical suspicion, imaging findings, negative biopsies for malignancy, and microbiological isolation. Complications, including abscess formation and vascular involvement, mandate a multidisciplinary treatment approach, primarily involving broad-spectrum antibiotics and surgical debridement, but the prognosis is usually poor. Herein, we describe the case of a 55-year-old male, who 15 years prior, underwent radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. He presented with an infection of the skull base with extensive bone erosion accompanied by an uncommon complication; an intra clival abscess. Despite aggressive antibiotic therapy, the patient ultimately succumbed to septic shock.