RESUMO
Objective:To compare the head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and the distribution of pathogens of purulent meningitis in premature and full term infants.Methods:This retrospective study assessed clinical data in 43 cases of neonatal purulent meningitis with positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture admitted to the Neonatal Ward of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2012 to November 2019.According to the gestational age, those patients were divided into the premature infant group and the full term infant group.The general situation, head MRI and pathogen characteristics of both groups were compared.Results:The incidence of premature rupture of fetal membranes in the premature infant group was higher than that in the full term infant group [50.00%(13/26 cases) vs.5.88%(1/17 cases)], the rate of cesarean section in the premature infant group was higher than that in the term infant group [61.54%(16/26 cases) vs.23.53%(4/17 cases)], and there were significant difference between the 2 groups ( χ2=9.011 and 5.969, respectively, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference between 2 groups in age of onset [(9.8±7.0) d vs.(8.9±5.5) d], diagnosis[(13.0±7.1) d vs.(10.2±6.1) d] and examination [(16.1±7.9) d vs.(13.1±6.5) d] (all P>0.05). The top 3 pathogens were Klebsiella pneumonia ( K. pneumoniae) in 14 cases, Escherichia coli ( E. coli) in 11 cases and Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) in 7 cases. K. pneumoniae was the most common pathogen in premature infants, and GBS was the most common pathogen in term infants.In the first MRI, white matter injury (WMI) was the most common disease (19 cases), the abnormal rate of MRI in the premature infant group was 65.38% (17/26 cases), the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in the premature infant group was higher than that in the term infant group, the abnormal rate of MRI in the term infant group was 52.94% (9/17 cases), and the incidence of cerebral infarction in the term infant group was higher than that in the premature infant group.The MRI positive rates of meningitis caused by K. pneumoniae, E. coli and GBS were 57.14% (8/14 cases), 72.73% (8/11 cases) and 71.43% (5/7 cases), respectively.Infants with K. pneumoniae infections suffered from the main complications of WMI and intracranial hemorrhage.Infants infected with E. coli were prone to WMI in the early stage and hydrocephalus in the late stage.Infants with GBS were prone to WMI and cerebral infarction in the early stage and cerebromalacia in the late stage. Conclusions:There were some differences in the distribution of pathogenic bacteria and head MRI changes between premature infants and term infants, and head MRI of purulent meningitis caused by different pathogenic bacteria.A thorough understanding of the distribution of pathogens and the characteristics of head MRI in premature and full term infants contributed to the early diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this disease.