Linda found it strange that her six year old son, Wyatt, almost always had a runny nose. But a runny nose wasn't his only problem. Physicians were puzzled why an otherwise healthy child would suffer from bacterial meningitis not just once, but three times in two years.
Wyatt was referred to Dr. Cornelius Lam, pediatric neurosurgeon with University of Minnesota Physicians.
Requiring intricate images of his brain and sinal passages, Lam knew his only option in properly diagnosing Wyatt's condition would rely on the best technology. Dr. Lam asked Wyatt to be the first patient to benefit from a newly purchased 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner that was not scheduled for use until the following week.
Lam's request was approved and the images showed that a small hole in Wyatt's left sinus passage allowed cerebral spinal fluid to drip from his nose. Bacteria then reached his brain, causing repeated episodes of bacterial meningitis. Finally, they had a definitive diagnosis.
"It feels great to finally know what's going on," says Wyatt's mom. "We are so thankful to Dr. Lam and the staff here." Following his successful craniotomy, an operation to open the skull to access the brain for surgical repair, Wyatt is recovering at home.
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