Cryptococcosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type I ; complications ; pathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis, Fungal ; etiology ; pathology

Dermoid sinuses and meningoceles are seldom encountered in the cervical region. Besides, to the best of our knowledge, the coexistence of these types of congenital abnormalities with recurrent meningitis, as well as with mirror movement, has never been reported before. A 14-year-old female with the diagnosis of recurrent meningitis was referred to our clinic from the Department of Infectious Diseases. She had a cervical meningocele mass that was leaking cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and an associated mirror movement symptom. Spina bifida, dermoid sinus and meningocele lesions were demonstrated at the C2 level on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). She underwent an operation to remove the sinus tract together with the sac, and at the same time the tethered cord between the sac base and the distal end of the spinal cord was detached. The diagnosis of dermoid sinus and meningocele was confirmed histopathologically. These kinds of congenital pathologies in the cervical region may also predispose the patient to other diseases or symptoms. Herein, a case of meningocele associated with cervical dermoid sinus tract which presented with recurrent meningitis and a rare manifestation of mirror movement is discussed. Neurosurgeons should consider the possible coexistence of mirror movement and recurrent meningitis in the treatment of these types of congenital abnormalities.
Adolescent ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Dermoid Cyst/complications/*pathology/surgery ; Female ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis/complications/*pathology ; Meningocele/complications/*pathology/surgery ; Movement Disorders/etiology/pathology ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of chronic otitis media with intact tympanic membrane.

METHODTen patients were retrospective studied in the department of otorhinolaryngology of Guangdong general hospital from December 2006 to January 2015. The clinical characteristics of their manifestations, audiology and imaging examinations were analyzed.

RESULTSAll the cases could be divided into two groups: the intracranial complication group who was primarily diagnosed as intracranial complications, and the hearing loss group who primarily complained of hearing loss. Five cases belonged to the first group, which include 1 cerebellar abscess, 3 meningitis and 1 meningoencephalitis, 2 of them were profound hearing loss, 2 were mixed hearing loss, and 1 was normal hearing. The other 5 cases belonged to the hearing loss group, 3 were mixed deafness, 2 were conductive deafness. All the case showed positive high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) features. In the first group, four cases showed the soft tissue shadow in tympanic antrum/superior tympanic pouch and 1 case showed a wide damage of skull base, in addition to intracranial complications. In the second group, five cases showed soft tissue imaging in tympanic antrum/superior tympanic pouch. Pathology showed that 2 cases were cholesterol granuloma(one was in the first group and the other was in the second group), 4 were intracranial inflammatory(the first group) and 4 were cholesteatoma(the seond group).

CONCLUSIONSIn chronic otitis media with intact tympanic membrane, intracranial complications may be the primarily diagnosis, which should be paid much attention by multidisciplinary team. HRCT and audiology were valuable for early diagnosis.

Brain Abscess ; etiology ; Cerebellar Diseases ; etiology ; Cholesteatoma ; pathology ; Chronic Disease ; Granuloma ; pathology ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Humans ; Meningitis ; etiology ; Otitis Media ; complications ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tympanic Membrane

Eosinophilic meningitis, caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is prevalent in northeastern Thailand, most commonly in adults. Data regarding clinical manifestations of this condition in children is limited and may be different those in adults. A chart review was done on 19 eosinophilic meningitis patients aged less than 15 years in Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Clinical manifestations and outcomes were reported using descriptive statistics. All patients had presented with severe headache. Most patients were males, had fever, nausea or vomiting, stiffness of the neck, and a history of snail ingestion. Six patients had papilledema or cranial nerve palsies. It was shown that the clinical manifestations of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis in children are different from those in adult patients. Fever, nausea, vomiting, hepatomegaly, neck stiffness, and cranial nerve palsies were all more common in children than in adults.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiostrongylus cantonensis/*isolation & purification ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eosinophilia/complications/etiology/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis/complications/etiology/*pathology ; Middle Aged ; Patient Outcome Assessment ; Strongylida Infections/parasitology/*pathology ; Thailand ; Young Adult

Cryptococcus neoformans, an encapsulated fungus, is an important opportunistic pathogen that can cause meningitis in immunocompromised patients. Since patients with cryptococcemia have high mortality, it is essential to make an early diagnosis and promptly initiate antifungal therapy. However, it is often very difficult to differentiate between cryptococcal meningitis and hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis, and there is delay in making the diagnosis. Therefore, these patients have a particularly grave prognosis and consequently many patients die before culture results become available. In one study, starting antifungal therapy within 48 hours of the blood culture was associated with improved survival, but patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly less likely to receive antifungal therapy within 48 hours compared to those without liver cirrhosis. Recently, the authors experience a case of a 68-year-old woman with liver cirrhosis who presented with fever and a drowsy mental status. She had a previous history of having been admitted for infection-associated hepatic encephlopathy. Cryptococcal meningitis and cryptococcemia were diagnosed by spinal puncture and culture of cerebrospinal fluid. In spite of adequate treatment, the patient developed multi-system organ failure and eventually expired. Herein, we report a case of cryptococcal meningitis mimicking hepatic encephalopathy in a patient with liver cirrhosis.
Aged, 80 and over ; Brain/radiography ; Cryptococcus/isolation & purification ; Female ; Hepatic Encephalopathy/complications/*diagnosis ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications/pathology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/etiology/pathology ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, antibiotics sensitivity and outcome of group B streptococcus (GBS) meningitis in neonates in order to provide the guide for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

METHODA retrospective review was performed and a total of 13 cases of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS were identified in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 1, 2005 to May 31, 2013. The clinical characteristics, antibiotics sensitivity test results and outcome were analyzed.

RESULTFever, poor feeding, seizure and lethargy were common clinical signs of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS. Three cases of early onset GBS meningitis received prepartum antibiotics. All 13 cases had abnormal C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and 11 cases had increased CRP within hours after admission. Of the 13 patients, 7 were cured, 4 discharged with improvement, 2 patients died during hospitalization after being given up because of serious complication. The average length of stay for recovered patients was (47 ± 21)d. Acute complications mainly included hyponatremia (5 cases), intracranial hemorrhage (3 cases) , ventriculomegaly (3 cases) , subdural collection (2 cases) , hydrocephalus (2 cases), septic shock (2 cases), cerebral hernia (1 case), encephalomalacia (1 case). One preterm patient with early onset GBS meningitis died 1 month after hospital discharge. Among 7 survivors with 10-24 months follow-up, 3 were early onset GBS meningitis, 2 with normal results of neurologic examination, 1 with delayed motor development, 4 were late onset GBS meningitis, 1 with normal results of neurologic examination, 3 were neurologically impaired with manifestations including delayed motor development (2 cases) and seizures (1 case). All the GBS strains were sensitive to penicillin and linezolid (13/13, 10/10), the susceptibility to levofloxacin, ampicillin and vancomycin were 11/12, 9/10, 8/13 respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical manifestations of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS are usually non-specific. It is associated with long hospitalization, neurological impairments and sequelae. Monitoring of serum CRP level is valuable for early diagnosis. Antepartum prophylaxis, early diagnosis and therapy are vital. Large dose penicillin is the priority choice to treat the neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS, linezolid should be used in intractable cases.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Fever ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; etiology ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillins ; therapeutic use ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcal Infections ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Streptococcus agalactiae