Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30567122›Full record

ArticleBMJ case reports2018

Skull base aspergillosis in an immunocompetent elderly man with early response to steroid.

Pamela Sarkar, Christopher Price, Mark Fish, Luke Bennetto

Open access · greenAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ case reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. IDCases · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Pamela SarkarNeurology Department, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
Christopher PriceNeurology Department, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Taunton, UK.
Mark FishNeurology Department, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Taunton, UK.
Luke BennettoNeurology Department, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
North Bristol NHS Trust · GBSomerset NHS Foundation TrustTaunton & Somerset NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We report the case of a previously well 80-year-old man who presented with subacute bilateral painful optic neuropathy with initial response to corticosteroids but ultimately progressed to a fatal skull base syndrome. Initial presentation of steroid-responsive painful bilateral posterior optic neuropathy, preliminary normal enhanced MRI, normal cerebrospinal fluid and inflammatory markers indicated atypical optic neuritis. However, this progressed to a bilateral orbital apex syndrome with ophthalmoplegia and evidence of abnormal skull base enhancement on subsequent MRI. Biopsy of radiologically abnormal dura was non-diagnostic and negative for fungal stains. He deteriorated and died 8 months after initial presentation. At postmortem, fungal skull base infection was diagnosed. This case demonstrates that chronic skull base fungal infection can: (1) present in elderly immunocompetent patients, (2) show initial improvement with corticosteroids and (3) evade diagnosis on biopsy. We encourage a high index of suspicion for fungal skull base infection in similar cases.

Indexed as

Aged, 80 and overAspergillosisAspergillusAutopsyDiagnosis, DifferentialDura MaterFatal OutcomeHumansImmunocompromised HostMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMycosesOptic Nerve DiseasesPainPeripheral Nervous System DiseasesSkull BaseSteroidscranial nervesinfection (neurology)neuroimagingvisual pathway

Identifiers

PMID30567122
PMCPMC6301491
OpenAlexW2904635556

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.