Skull base osteomyelitis presenting as Villaret's syndrome

This report documents a 47-year-old male who developed acute deficits of the IX, X, XI, XII cranial nerves and Horner's symptoms, consistent with Villaret's syndrome. Neuroimaging studies demonstrated an osteolytic lesion in the skull base involving the clivus and jugular foramen. The patient recovered after the antibiotic treatment for proteus mirabilis infection. We suggest that Villaret's syndrome can be a rare presentation of skull base osteomyelitis.