Ureaplasma parvum meningitis in a preterm infant: a case report and literature review
10.3760/cma.j.cn113903-20231112-00319
- VernacularTitle:早产儿微小脲原体脑膜炎1例报告并文献复习
- Author:
Qin TAN
1
;
Xingxing ZHAN
;
Ya HU
;
Long CHEN
Author Information
1. 重庆医科大学附属儿童医院新生儿科（国家儿童健康与疾病临床医学研究中心、儿童发育疾病研究教育部重点实验室、儿童代谢与炎症性疾病重庆市重点实验室），重庆 400014
- Keywords:
Neonates;
Purulent meningitis;
Ureaplasma meningitis;
Metagenomic next generation sequencing
- From:
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine
2024;27(8):680-687
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of neonatal ureaplasma meningitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a case of ureaplasma parvum (UP) meningitis in a neonate with persistent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities, admitted to the Neonatology Department of the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University on September 2021. Literature was searched using the keywords "neonate", "ureaplasma", and "meningitis" in databases including CNKI, Wanfang Medical Database, Yiigle, VIP Database, SinoMed, and Chinese Medical Care Repository, as well as PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, from their inception to December 2023. The clinical characteristics of the cases obtained were analyzed in conjunction with the present case. Descriptive statistical analysis and Chi-square test (or Fisher's exact test) were used for data analysis. Results:(1) Case report: The patient was a female neonate, born at 30 +2 gestational weeks, who experienced severe asphyxia at birth and was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital after resuscitation involving mechanical ventilation and chest compressions at an external hospital. On the 7th day of birth, the patient developed seizures, and CSF examination indicated meningitis. Blood and CSF cultures were negative, and empirical anti-infective treatment for one month showed no significant improvement. On the 39th day of birth, metagenomics next generation sequencing (mNGS) of the CSF indicated UP positivity, confirming UP meningitis. The patient received ten weeks of quinolone antibiotics. During hospitalization, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed due to hydrocephalus, and the patient was discharged after improvement. At 2 years and 1 month of follow-up, the patient had cerebral palsy (hemiplegic type) and was undergoing rehabilitation therapy. (2) Literature review: A total of 31 articles were retrieved, encompassing 46 cases, plus the present case, making a total of 47 cases. Among these, 57% (27/47) were preterm infants, 54% (22/41) were low birth weight infants (some articles did not report this item, hence the denominator is less than 47), and 76% (28/37) were born via vaginal delivery. Cases who developed symptoms within the first week accounted for 71% (24/34), and 74% (26/35) had mothers with ureaplasma infection or high-risk factors during pregnancy. The main clinical manifestations included fever [63% (20/32)], seizures or apnea/respiratory distress [each 44% (14/32)]. CSF examination mainly showed significantly elevated white blood cells [287×10 6/L (69×10 6/L-1 176×10 6/L)], decreased glucose [0.79 mmol/L (0.10-1.17 mmol/L)], and elevated protein [3.01 g/L (1.80-8.14 g/L)], with negative general bacterial cultures. CSF mNGS [30% (14/47)], CSF polymerase chain reaction [17% (8/47)], and CSF culture [66% (31/47)] were the main methods for detecting ureaplasma. Treatment primarily involved macrolide antibiotics alone [46% (16/35)] or in combination with other antibiotics [29% (10/35)]. The duration of anti-ureaplasma treatment ranged from 2 to 10 weeks. Intracranial hemorrhage and hydrocephalus were the most common neurological complications [66% (25/38) and 61% (23/38), respectively]. Among the 47 cases, 31 were infected with ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and 15 with UP (one case was not typed). There were no significant differences in epidemiology, clinical manifestations, neurological complications, and prognosis between UP and UU meningitis. Compared to UU meningitis, a higher proportion of UP meningitis cases were treated with macrolide antibiotics [13/15 vs. 52% (14/27), χ2=5.09, P=0.024]. Among the 43 reported cases of ureaplasma meningitis with outcomes, 44% (19/43) experienced developmental delays or death. The case fatality rate of UU meningitis was higher than that of UP meningitis [39% (11/28) vs. 0/14, Fisher's exact test, P=0.007]. Conclusions:Neonatal ureaplasma meningitis lacks specific clinical manifestations and has a variable prognosis. When empirical anti-infective treatment is ineffective in infants with purulent changes in CSF, intracranial ureaplasma infection should be considered. Macrolide antibiotics alone or in combination with other antibiotics can be the first-choice treatment for ureaplasma infection.
