We report the rare case of a 55-year-old woman with an asymptomatic left sphenoid sinus pseudomeningocele mimicking a mucocele.

A 55-year-old woman was found to have an incidental mass in the left sphenoid sinus on computed tomography. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of a mucocele. A left endoscopic sphenoidotomy was performed to drain the mucocele. Despite an anatomical puncture through a stenosed sphenoid ostium, alarmingly, the opening leaked cerebrospinal fluid. A dehiscent lateral wall was identified with a dural opening communicating with the sphenoid sinus. This was immediately repaired with a free nasal septal mucosal graft. Six months post-operatively, the patient remained free from cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Pseudomeningoceles are extremely rare in the absence of trauma or iatrogenic injury. Surgeons should be alert to their presence as they can mimic a unilateral mucocele or nasal polyp. Endoscopic management lends itself to a single-stage repair.

Neonates are obligate nasal breathers, and nasal obstruction may have serious implications. We present an extremely rare cause of neonatal nasal obstruction, and its management.

An eight-day-old neonate was referred for upper airway obstruction. Initial investigations had identified no obvious cause. Rigid airway endoscopy revealed a large, cystic lesion appearing to arise from the roof of the posterior nasal space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging indicated a basal cephalocoele projecting inferiorly into the oropharynx, with an intracranial connection to the pituitary fossa. Histology showed fibrovascular tissue lined on one aspect by respiratory type epithelium, with mucous glands present. The tissue contained multiple cystic spaces lined by choroid plexus epithelium, with glial tissue present in the walls of the mass. A transpalatal excision of the nasopharyngeal cephalocoele, with closure of the intracranial connection, palatal repair and lumbar drain placement was undertaken. Post-operative recovery was uneventful, with no evidence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage or palatal dysfunction.

This surgical approach gave excellent access whilst avoiding the obvious morbidity associated with an intracranial approach. Nasal masses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal respiratory distress due to nasal obstruction.

We report a rare case of meningocoele of the fallopian canal resulting in recurrent meningitis.

We present a case report together with a review of the world literature concerning meningocoele of the fallopian canal and meningitis.

A child developed profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss as a result of meningitis caused by a meningocoele of the fallopian canal. He was treated with bilateral cochlear implantation, with a subtotal petrosectomy and middle ear and eustachian tube obliteration on the affected side.

Meningocoele of the fallopian canal has rarely been reported. This lesion can present with recurrent meningitis and, rarely, with facial weakness. All children with recurrent meningitis should be investigated for skull base defects. Treatment aims to prevent further episodes of meningitis; we recommend that this is best achieved by the technique of subtotal petrosectomy, with obliteration of the middle ear and eustachian tube.

We present a rare case of a jugular foramen meningocoele in a 48-year-old female, with neurofibromatosis type 1, presenting with positional vertigo. We also postulate possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

We describe the imaging findings of this rare entity and review the literature on skull base meningocoeles, particularly in the context of neurofibromatosis type 1.

A computed tomography scan revealed smooth expansion of the jugular foramen. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a fluid filled lesion expanding the jugular foramen and communicating with cerebrospinal fluid of the cerebellomedullary cistern superiorly.

Skull base meningocoeles are a rare entity and we believe that this is the first reported case of a meningocoele causing enlargement of the jugular foramen in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1. The meningocoele may have resulted from a severe form of dural ectasia or from dysplastic, weakened bone at the skull base.