• C E Papadakis, A A Nikolidakis, J G Bizakis, C E Skoulakis, G A Velegrakis, H G Kokori, and E S Helidonis.
• Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece.
• Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 1998 Oct 15; 45 (3): 243-7.

AbstractAdenotonsillar surgery remains among the most commonly-performed pediatric surgical procedures. The complication rate of tonsillectomy is generally considered to be in a range of 1-5%. Bacterial meningitis following adenotonsillectomy is a rarely reported complication. Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal acute infectious disease caused by a variety of micro-organisms. Current case fatality rates associated with this entity can be as low as 2% in infants and children and as high as 30% in neonates. The successful management of meningitis depends on early clinical suspicion and diagnosis, with prompt medical treatment using high-dose, broad-spectrum antibiotics that adequately cross the blood-brain barrier. We present a case of meningitis complicating a tonsillectomy procedure, in a 7-year-old girl. The diagnosis and treatment of this rare complication is illustrated, and the possible etiology is discussed.

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