Skull base osteomyelitis originating in the middle ear or mastoid: a review of 3 cases.

Skull base osteomyelitis is a life-threatening condition that sometimes arises as a sequela of otitis media and mastoiditis. We present a retrospective analysis of the clinical course of 3 patients with skull base osteomyelitis that originated in the middle ear or mastoid. All 3 patients were elderly diabetic men who presented with headache. We review the clinical features, radiologic findings, and culture results in all 3 cases, and we describe the treatment regimens that led to a successful response in all 3 patients.