Cochlear Implant Infection in a Teenager with CHARGE Syndrome: A Case Report

Background Pastuerella multicoda is a gram-negative coccobacillus commonly found in the oral flora of many animals, most commonly in cats and implicated in zoonotic infections, commonly cellulitis secondary to cat bites and scratches. Here we describe a teenager with CHARGE syndrome who developed an infection of her cochlear implant secondary to P multicoda. Case Presentation An 18-year-old female with CHARGE syndrome developed headache, ear pain and cellulitis at the site of her cochlear implant and was found to have osteomyelitis and transient bacteremia secondary to P. multicoda . She required both surgical and medical management, including removal of her cochlear implant and four weeks of antibiotic therapy. Exposure history included numerous excoriations from her new kitten at home. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of obtaining thorough exposure history as part of the evaluation of any pediatric patient with headache, ear pain and cellulitis with complicating factors such as presence of cochlear implant to include zoonotic infections on the differential diagnosis. Additionally, this case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary team for care of patients with complex medical and surgical history.