Introduction: Electrolyte imbalance is common in central nervous system infections. Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D), Cerebral Salt Wasting (CSW), and Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH) are important etiologies that can cause opposing extremes of serum sodium, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a rare case of transient central AVP-D followed by CSW secondary to tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Case: An 18-year-old female presented with a 1-month history of fever, reduced responsiveness, and visual hallucinations. Her Glasgow Coma Scale was E4V1M4 with neck stiffness and upper motor neuron signs. Initial investigations revealed severe hyponatremia (119 mmol/L) and communicating hydrocephalus with third ventricle ballooning on brain imaging. Coupled with a positive tuberculosis contact, anti-tuberculous therapy was initiated for probable TBM alongside 3% saline correction prior to insertion of external ventricular drain (EVD). Her condition deteriorated on day 5, requiring intubation for aspiration pneumonia. Repeated imaging showed worsening hydrocephalus, necessitating EVD revision. She subsequently developed polyuria (urine output [UO] 150–300 mLs/hour), with biochemical findings consistent with AVP-D (serum sodium 154 mmol/L; urine osmolality 96 mOsm/kg; urine sodium <20 mmol/L). Intravenous desmopressin 1 mcg was administered, and UO reduced to 30 mLs/hour. However, polyuria recurred on Day 9, accompanied by tachycardia, hypotension, and a rapid decline in serum sodium to 120 mmol/L. Diagnosis of CSW was established (urine sodium 204 mmol/L; urine osmolality 470 mOsm/kg). Oral fludrocortisone was initiated and titrated to 0.4 mg daily to maintain serum sodium >130 mmol/L. Due to persistent hydrocephalus, right ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted on Day 22, after which her UO gradually decreased, allowing tapering of fludrocortisone. She remains on fludrocortisone 0.1 mg daily with ongoing rehabilitation. Conclusion TBM can be complicated by SIADH, AVP-D, or CSW. Concurrent AVP-D and CSW have not been reported. This case highlights the dynamic electrolyte disturbances in TBM which may lead to diagnostic confusion and therapeutic error. Early recognition and tailored therapy, alongside definitive management to reduce intracranial pressure, are essential for optimal outcomes.
Hypernatremia ; Hyponatremia ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effects of inulin-type oligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis (IOMO) in a murine model of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis (SPM) and explore its possible mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 120 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into Sham, SPM+Saline, SPM+IOMO (25 mg/kg), and SPM+IOMO (50 mg/kg) groups. After modeling, the mice received daily gavage of saline or IOMO at the indicated doses for 7 consecutive days, and the changes in symptom scores and mortality of the mice were monitored. Brain pathology and neuronal injury of the mice were assessed using HE and Nissl staining, and qRT-PCR was performed to detect mRNA levels of the inflammatory mediators. Brain edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of the mice were evaluated by measuring brain water content and Evans blue (EB) staining; Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of BBB-associated proteins, and flow cytometry was employed to detect IFN‑γ expression level in the infiltrating lymphocytes. Open-field test (OFT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) were conducted to assess learning and memory ability of the mice on day 21 after modeling. RESULTS: IOMO treatment at 50 mg/kg significantly reduced the symptom scores and mortality rate of SPM mice, alleviated brain damage, and downregulated mRNA levels of IL-6, TNF‑α, IL-1β, IL-18, IFN‑γ, iNOS, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD in the brain tissue. IOMO treatment also decreased brain water content and EB leakage, upregulated VE-cadherin and occludin expressions, and suppressed AQP4, iNOS, and IFN‑γ levels of the mice. IOMO-treated mice exhibited improved learning and memory compared with the saline-treated mice on day 21 after SPM modeling. CONCLUSIONS IOMO alleviates SPM symptoms, reduces mortality, and mitigates cognitive deficits in mice possibly by suppressing cerebral inflammation and protecting BBB functions.
Animals ; Morinda/chemistry* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Mice ; Meningitis, Pneumococcal/drug therapy* ; Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Inulin/therapeutic use* ; Oligosaccharides/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Brain Edema

Neurosyphilis （NS） is a group of diseases with a series of nervous system symptoms when Treponema pallidum infects the central nervous system， with an unknown pathogenesis and significant heterogeneity in clinical manifestations. It is called the “universal imitator”， leading to a high misdiagnosis rate in clinical practice. Cognitive impairment is one of the most common clinical manifestations of NS， but delayed diagnosis may cause irreversible neuronal damage. Therefore， early identification of NS with the main manifestation of mild cognitive impairment is of great importance for achieving a good prognosis of patients. This article reports a case of NS with the main manifestation of mild cognitive impairment and reviews its clinical features， in order to improve the understanding of this disease among clinicians.
Neurosyphilis

This article reports a male patient，aged 31 years，who were admitted due to sudden-onset speech and language impairment and limb weakness at the right side for more than 7 hours and achieved successful revascularization after endovascular treatment. Etiological screening revealed positive treponema pallidum particle agglutination （1∶1 280） and positive HIV antibodies in serum，as well as an increase in white blood cell count and positive TPPA （1∶640） in cerebrospinal fluid （CSF）. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the vessel wall showed inflammatory changes in the vessel wall of the M1 segment of the left middle cerebral artery. After multidisciplinary consultation，the patient was diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke secondary to cerebral arteritis caused by neurosyphilis and HIV infection and was given antiplatelet therapy，benzathine penicillin for syphilis，and antiviral therapy. After 6 months of follow-up，the patient had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 and achieved clearance of syphilis-related indicators in serum and CSF，and CT angiography confirmed revascularization without new-onset stenosis. The literature review shows that acute ischemic stroke is a common manifestation of co-infection with HIV and neurosyphilis in young individuals，and early syphilis detection in serum and CSF，HIV screening，and timely combination therapy are of great significance for improving prognosis.
Neurosyphilis ; Arteritis

Neurosyphilis (NS) is an infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum invading the central nervous system. It can manifest at any stage of syphilis, and is often misdiagnosed due to its atypical and progressive symptoms. The increasing incidence of NS underscores the necessity for early and accurate diagnosis. Here, we present a case where routine cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was used to diagnose a patient with neurosyphilis. The patient exhibited cognitive impairment and was initially diagnosed with cerebral infarction due to syphilitic cerebral arteritis. Thus, the patient was treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) and statins to stabilize the plaques. Neurosyphilis was treated with penicillin sodium injections, resulting in significant improvement in the patient's mental state. This case is a rare instance of neurosyphilis associated with cerebral infarction. These findings suggest that mNGS is a valuable tool in diagnosing neurosyphilis, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Neurosyphilis/drug therapy* ; Treponema pallidum/isolation & purification*

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and poor prognosis of late-onset sepsis (LOS) in very low birth weight infant (VLBWI). Methods: This prospective, multicenter observational cohort study was conducted based on the data from Sina-Northern Neonatal Network (SNN). The general data, perinatal information and poor prognosis of 6 639 VLBWI, who were admitted to the 35 neonatal intensive care units from 2018 to 2021, were collected and analyzed. According to the occurrence of LOS during hospitalization, the VLBWI were assigned to the LOS group and non-LOS group. The LOS group was further divided into 3 subgroups according to the occurrence of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and purulent meningitis. The Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method, independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and multivariate Logistic regression model were used to analyze the relationship between LOS and poor prognosis in VLBWI. Results: A total of 6 639 eligible VLBWI were enrolled, including 3 402 cases (51.2%) of males and 1 511 cases (22.8%) with LOS. The incidences of LOS in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) and extremely preterm infants were 33.3% (392/1 176) and 34.2% (378/1 105), respectively. There were 157 cases (10.4%) who died in the LOS group and 48 cases (24.9%) in the subgroup of LOS complicated with NEC. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that LOS complicated with NEC was associated with increased mortality and incidence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), moderate or severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and extrauterin growth retardation (EUGR) (OR_adjust=5.27, 2.59, 3.04, 2.04; 95%CI 3.60-7.73, 1.49-4.50, 2.11-4.37, 1.50-2.79; all P<0.01); LOS complicated with purulent meningitis was also associated with increased mortality and incidence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ IVH or PVL, and moderate or severe BPD (OR_adjust=2.22, 8.13, 3.69, 95%CI 1.30-3.37, 5.22-12.67, 2.49-5.48; all P<0.01); the infants without NEC or purulent meningitis in the LOS group was only associated with increased incidence of moderate or severe BPD (OR_adjust=2.20, 95%CI 1.83-2.65, P<0.001). After ruling out contaminated bacteria, a total of 456 cases showed positive blood culture, including 265 cases (58.1%) of Gram-negative bacteria, 126 cases (27.6%) of Gram-positive bacteria, and 65 cases (14.3%) of fungi. The most common pathogenic bacteria was Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=147, 32.2%), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n=72, 15.8%) and subsequently Escherichia coli (n=39, 8.6%). Conclusions: The incidence of LOS is high in VLBWI. Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most common pathogenic bacteria, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. LOS is associated with a poor prognosis for moderate to severe BPD. The prognosis of LOS complicated with NEC is poor with the highest mortality, and the risk of brain damage is significantly increased when LOS complicated with purulent meningitis.
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Coagulase ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Sepsis/epidemiology* ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Escherichia coli ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Meningitis

Introduction: Syphilis is a chronic systemic infection caused by Treponema pallidum sub-species pallidum. Syphilis, by itself, already has a varied clinical presentation depending on the stage, earning its moniker as “the great imitator”. In a patient without HIV infection, untreated syphilis presents as a chronic infection with primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary stages. With the emergence of the AIDS pandemic, HIV co infection may significantly alter the clinical presentation of syphilis. This is a case of a patient with neurosyphilis with overlapping primary and secondary syphilis. Case Presentation: This is a case of a 34-year-old Filipino male who came in due to blurring of vision. The patient’s illness started six months prior to admission, when he noted the appearance of a painless, non-pruritic, solitary ulcer with erosions on his penis. A month after, he started to have progressive blurring of vision. In the interim, erythematous, scaly plaques appeared on the dorsal aspect of both hands and feet, and on the tip of the nose, with associated thinning of hair on the scalp and eyebrows. The skin and penile lesions eventually increased in size and number. The examination of the pupils showed a 6 mm right pupil, non-reactive to light, and a 2 mm left pupil which was minimally reactive to light and constricts upon accommodation. The diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed by a reactive serum Rapid Plasma Reagin at 1:64 dilution, and a reactive serum Treponemal Enzyme Immunoassay. HIV screening was also reactive, with a CD4+ cell count of 15 cells/μL. Ophthalmologic findings were consistent with panuveitis. Skin punch biopsy revealed lichenoid and interstitial dermatitis with which syphilis was highly considered. Cranial CT imaging showed mild cerebral atrophy. Lumbar tap revealed a colorless, clear cerebrospinal fluid, with lymphocytic pleocytosis, normal protein, decreased glucose, and a reactive CSF RPR. The patient was given intravenous penicillin G 3 million units every 4 hours for 14 days, together with ophthalmic medications (prednisolone, levofloxacin, and atropine ophthalmic drops). He was also started on antiretroviral therapy. Prior to discharge, the patient was noted to have improved vision, skin lesions were significantly improved, and he was advised for close monitoring as outpatient. Conclusion Through this case, it was elaborated that with HIV co-infection, syphilis may present atypically—with multiple, persistent, primary lesions; with overlapping of the stages, and increased frequency of neurosyphilis presenting early into the infection.
Syphilis ; Neurosyphilis ; HIV

Summary Secondary syphilis is a rare infectious sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum in present era. It affects skin as well as other organs of the body. We hereby present a case of an adult male who presented with a one-month history of multiple brownish red maculopapular lesions all over the skin of the body involving the palms, soles, oral cavity and genitalia. His serology was positive for HIV, VDRL and TPHA with a low CD4 count. The patient was treated with three weekly doses of parenteral Benzathine penicillin G, antiretroviral therapy and podophyllin for condyloma acuminata to which he responded well.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Neurosyphilis ; Condylomata Acuminata

Objective: Bacterial meningitis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed and treated early. Isolation of the causative agent from cerebrospinal fluid culture is the gold standard for the diagnosis of this condition; however, it takes several days for results to be available. The FilmArray™ Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel is a nucleic acid-based test that allows simultaneous detection of 14 bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens in the cerebrospinal fluid with a rapid turnaround time. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the ME panel in detecting bacterial pathogens in the cerebrospinal fluid of adult patients with suspected bacterial meningitis in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of hospital records of adult patients with suspected bacterial meningitis who were admitted at our institution and underwent diagnostic testing with the FilmArray™ ME panel from January 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019. Overall percent agreement, sensitivity, and specificity for individual bacterial pathogens included in the panel were determined. Results: A total of 88 cerebrospinal fluid samples were included in the analysis of diagnostic accuracy. The ME panel demonstrated 93.2% overall agreement, 50% sensitivity for E. coli, and 99–100% specificity in comparison with CSF culture in detecting bacterial pathogens that are included in the ME panel. Conclusion The results show that the FilmArray™ ME panel has high diagnostic accuracy and can be utilized in the rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment of patients with suspected bacterial meningitis.
Meningitis, Bacterial ; Central Nervous System Infections

Objective: To investigate the relationship between nutritional risk status and clinical outcome in children with tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Methods: The clinical data (basic information, clinical symptoms and laboratory test results) of 112 patients with TBM, who were admitted to Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases of West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University,from January 2013 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the nutritional risk group and the non-nutritional risk group according to the assessment of the nutritional risk by the STRONGkids Scale. The variables of basic information, clinical symptoms and laboratory test measurements etc. were compared between the two groups by using Student t test, Rank sum test or Chi-square test. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze nutritional risk factors. Results: Among 112 patient with TBM, 55 were males and 57 females. There were 62 cases in the nutritional risk group and 50 cases in the non-nutritional risk group. The proportion of cases with nutritional risk was 55.4% (62/112). Patients in the nutritional risk who lived in rural areas, had symptoms of brain nerve damage, convulsions, emaciation and anorexia, with a diagnosis time of ≥21 days, and the level of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein were all higher than those in the non-nutritional risk group ((50 cases (80.6%) vs. 32 cases (64.0%), 20 cases (32.3%) vs.8 cases (16.0%), 33 cases (53.2%) vs. 15 cases (30.0%), 30 cases (48.4%) vs. 2 cases (4.0%), 59 cases (95.2%) vs. 1 case (2.0%),41 cases (66.1%) vs.18 cases (36.0%), 1 406 (1 079, 2 068) vs. 929 (683, 1 208) mg/L, χ²=3.91, 3.90, 6.10, 26.72, 98.58, 10.08, Z=4.35, all P<0.05). The levels of serum albumin,hemoglobin,lymphocyte count, white blood cell count, and CSF glucose were significantly lower in patients with nutritional risk ((36±5) vs. (41±4) g/L, (110±17) vs. (122±14) g/L, 1.4 (1.0, 2.0)vs. 2.3 (1.6, 3.8)×10⁹/L, 7.8 (6.3, 10.0)×10⁹ vs. 10.0 (8.3, 12.8)×10⁹/L, 1.0 (0.8, 1.6) vs. 2.1 (1.3, 2.5) mmol/L, t=-6.15, -4.22, Z=-4.86, -3.92, -4.16, all P<0.05).Increased levels of serum albumin (OR=0.812, 95%CI:0.705-0.935, P=0.004) and lymphocyte count (OR=0.609, 95%CI:0.383-0.970, P=0.037) may reduce the nutritional risk of children with TBM; while convulsions (OR=3.853, 95%CI:1.116-13.308, P=0.033) and increased level of CSF protein (OR=1.001,95%CI:1.000-1.002, P=0.015) may increase the nutritional risk of children with TBM. Similarly, the rate of complications and drug-induced liver injury was higher in the nutritional risk group (47 cases (75.8%) vs. 15 cases(30.0%), 31 cases (50.0%) vs.8 cases (16.0%), χ²=23.50, 14.10, all P<0.05). Moreover, the length of hospital stay was also longer in the nutritional risk group ((27±13) vs. (18±7) d, t=4.38, P<0.05). Conclusions: Children with TBM have a high incidence of nutritional risk. Convulsive, the level of serum albumin, the level of lymphocyte count and CSF protein may affect the nutritional risk of children with TBM. The nutritional risk group has a high incidence of complications and heavy economic burden.It is necessary to carry out nutritional screening and nutritional support for children with TBM as early as possible.
Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal/diagnosis*