Mastoiditis and meningitis complicating an aural foreign body

Abstract

Children commonly present to emergency departments with foreign bodies in the ear. In addition, physicians place wicks in the ear canal as part of the treatment of otitis externa. Usually, these foreign bodies are easily removed, but occasionally, removal must be deferred or is delayed by parents. Therefore, the dangers of retained foreign bodies are important for the emergency physician to be aware of. We report the highly unusual case of a 12-year-old girl who presented with ear pain for 3 weeks. She was found to have an ear wick in place as part of the treatment of otalgia. She was subsequently diagnosed with mastoiditis and meningitis. This is first time mastoiditis and meningitis has been reported as a complication of ear wick placement, although not the only case of an intracranial complication of an aural foreign body.