An 11-year-old girl with recurrent bacterial meningitis due to liquorrhea caused by bone malformation of the skull base

The patient is a healthy 11-year-old girl with no history of trauma or hearing impairment. She developed pneumococcal meningitis three times, at ages 7, 10, and 11. Intracranial examination revealed, pore expansion and cerebrospinal fluid leakage in the right internal acoustic foramen, which were attributed to a bone malformation of the base of the skull. A procedure was performed to close the cerebrospinal fluid leakage; no relapse has been observed thus far. Previous case reports indicate that repetitive bacterial meningitis is often caused by internal ear malformation, trauma, tumors, or surgical operation. This case suggests the possibility that underlying disorders may not be apparent in cases of repetitive bacterial meningitis and, more proactive investigations are required to prevent further recurrence of meningitis.