Cerebral Vasculitis Complicating Pneumococcal Meningitis

  • Ahmed Khedher Medical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
  • Nesrine Sma Medical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
  • Dorsaf Slama Infectious Diseases Department, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
  • Nesrine Fraj Medical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
  • Wissem Hachfi Infectious Diseases Department, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
  • Mohamed Boussarsar Medical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12890/2018_000819

Keywords

Cerebral vasculitis, pneumococcal meningitis, stroke, steroids

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral vasculitis is an uncommon life-threatening complication of community-acquired bacterial meningitis.

Patient and methods: We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with pneumococcal meningitis who developed parainfectious vasculitis causing ischaemic brain damage. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the diagnosis. Clinical and radiological recovery after delayed addition of corticosteroid was achieved.

Discussion: This report shows that the onset of neurological deficits following pneumococcal meningitis can be caused by cerebral vasculitis. Underdosing with antibiotics and delayed adjunctive dexamethasone seem to favour this complication. There are no guidelines for treatment but high doses of steroids led to resolution in this case.

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    • Published: 2018-03-13

    Issue: Vol. 5 No. 5 (view)

    Section: Articles

    How to cite:
    1.
    Khedher A, Sma N, Slama D, Fraj N, Hachfi W, Boussarsar M. Cerebral Vasculitis Complicating Pneumococcal Meningitis. EJCRIM 2018;5 doi:10.12890/2018_000819.