Síndrome de meningitis y retención urinaria / Meningitis-retention syndrome. Report of one case

The Meningitis-Retention Syndrome associates aseptic meningitis and neurogenic bladder, with a vesical dysfunction that outlasts meningitis widely. Urodynamic assessment shows a detrusor palsy with normal function of the external sphincter. We report a 24-year-old male admitted for headache, fever, myalgias and acute urinary retention, which was diagnosed as a urinary tract infection. Worsening of symptoms and slight meningeal signs prompted for a lumbar puncture that yielded a cerebrospinal fluid with 94 lymphocytes, in which etiological evaluation was inconclusive. Meningeal syndrome and myalgia subsided by the fifth day, while urinary retention persisted. A magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord done at the fifth day, showed high intensity signals in basal ganglia and central spinal cord, not altered by contrast. These images disappeared in the imaging control performed two months later. Bladder dysfunction lasted at least until the second month of follow up.

Comparison of the frequency and complications of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in patients with septic and aseptic meningitis

Due to the high prevalence of syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion [SIADH]. This study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence and relevant parameters of SIADH in children with septic and aseptic meningitis hospitalized at Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital between 1996 and 2006. This descriptive study was conducted on 230 patients with meningitis hospitalized in the pediatric wards of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital between 1996 and 2006. Relevant information [age, gender, type of meningitis, serum sodium and potassium, urine specific gravity [USG], blood sugar, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinin, hydration condition] was collected from patients' records. Data was analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kappa [2] tests. Out of 230 patients with meningitis, 33 had incomplete records and only 197 patients were recruited for this study. Sixty eight cases [34.5%] suffered from SIADH. It was more frequent among 1-2 year old children. According to this research, SIADH was diagnosed in 57% of the 121 patients with hyponatremia, 58.7% of the 167 patients with USG> 1.004, 74% of the 93 patients with serum osmolity <280 mOs/l and 100% of the patients with BUN <10 mg%. Due to the high prevalence of SIADH in septic and aseptic meningitis and its complication, it is recommended to restrict fluid therapy and monitor serum sodium, urine specific gravity and other diagnostic tests for SIADH

¿Es necesaria la punción lumbar en la evaluación del recién nacido febril sin signos de focalización? / ¿Is it necessary to perform a lumbar puncture in the evaluation of the febrile newborn infant without source?

La evaluación del RN febril incluye efectuar una punción lumbar para detectar un foco meníngeo. Objetivo: Evaluar la utilidad de este procedimiento al ingreso del paciente al hospital y, eventualmente, en una segunda instancia si se justifica clínicamente. Pacientes y Método: Estudiamos 1.841 recién nacidos febriles sin signos de focalización que consultaron en la Unidad de Emergencia entre enero 1992 y diciembre 2000. Todos se sometieron a una evaluación para pesquisa de sepsis. Calculamos la tasa de incidencia de meningitis, y analizamos la frecuencia de meningitis diagnosticada en la evaluación inicial y en una re-evaluación. Resultados: Hubo 206 pacientes con diagnóstico de meningitis (incidencia de 11,2 por ciento), de las cuales 20 fueron bacterianas (1,1 por ciento) y 186 meningitis asépticas (10,1 por ciento). En la evaluación inicial se detectaron 155 pacientes con meningitis (155/ 1.774 = 8,7 por ciento) y en la reevaluación (media de 39,5 ± 25,2 horas más tarde) se diagnosticaron 51 casos más (51/ 135 = 37,8 por ciento). Conclusiones: La meningitis fue un diagnóstico frecuente en recién nacidos febriles sin signos de focalización, predominando la meningitis aséptica. En casi 25 por ciento de los casos se llegó a este diagnóstico mediante la ejecución de la punción lumbar al ser re-evaluados.

Lumbar puncture to detect bacterial meningitis is a recommended screening procedure to be performed in febrile newborn infants at admission to hospital. Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of this procedure performed at admission and eventually, in a second look if clinically justified. Patients and method: There were studied 1,841 febrile newborns consulting at the Emergency Department from January 1992 to December 2000 without source. All of them underwent a sepsis workup. The rate of meningitis incidence was calculated, and we analyzed the frequency of meningitis diagnosed in the initial evaluation and reappraisal. Results: There were 206 febrile patients with diagnosis of meningitis for an incidence of 11.2 percent, which 20 were bacterial (1.1 percent) and 186 aseptic meningitis (10.1 percent). In the initial evaluation 155 patients were diagnosed with meningitis (155/ 1.774 = 8.7 percent) and in reappraisal (mean 39,5 ± 25,2 hours after) there were diagnosed another 51 cases (51/ 135 = 37.8 percent). Conclusions: The meningitis was a common diagnosis in febrile newborns without source, with prevalence of aseptic meningitis. In almost 25 percent of cases we reached to this diagnosis by means of performing lumbar puncture after a reappraisal.

Cat scratch disease complicated with aseptic meningitis and neuroretinitis

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a self limited condition characterized by fever, lymph node enlargement and less often eye involvement. Central nervous system involvement by Bartonella henselae infection is possibly an important cause of morbidity; its role as an agent of aseptic meningitis is unknown. We report a case of a 40 years-old man with CSD accompanied by aseptic meningitis and neuroretinitis. Serum indirect immmunofluorescence (IFI) assays for B. henselae were positive and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed mononuclear pleocytosis and increased level of protein. Serological tests for other etiologies were negative. The patient responded well to antibiotic therapy with oral doxycicline plus rifampin and in the 12th day of hospitalization evolved to total regression of the headache and partial regression of the visual loss. Clinicians should consider CSD as a differential diagnosis when assessing previously healthy patients with aseptic meningitis associated with regional lymphadenopathy and epidemiological history of feline contact.

Diagnostic outcome of patients presenting with severe thunderclap headache at saidu teaching hospital

To find out the frequency of patients attending Casualty department of a Teaching Hospital with sudden severe thunderclap headache, their diagnostic out-come and follow up. The study was conducted in Casualty and Medical, Departments of Saidu Teaching Hospital, Saidu Sharif, from January 2006 to December 2006. Out of 22,000 patients with different Medical problems attended Casualty department during study period of which 128 cases had acute severe thunderclap headache. Age range was 15 to 80 years with mean age of 46 +/- 10 years. Seventy eight patients [61%] were female and fifty [39%] were male. Protocol included proper clinical examination, basic laboratory investigations, admission to the General medical ward / Intensive care unit for observation, treatment and follow-up. CT scan of brain and or lumber puncture was performed in all the studied patients. The in-hospital follow up period was from two to fourteen days. The patients were reviewed one month later after discharge from hospital. Out of 120 patients twenty cases [15.6%] had Subarachnoid haemorrhage [SAH] seven patients [5.4%] had Cerebral infarction, five patients [3.9%] had an Intracerebral Haematoma. Five patients [3.9%] had aseptic meningitis. Two cases [1.5%] were reported as cerebral edema. One case [0.8%] had venous sinus thrombosis. As there was no specific finding on investigations and follow up of 88 cases [69%]: these were labeled as idiopathic thunder-clap headache. Past history of not more than three similar episodes was present in 33 cases [25.78%]. Out of these 33 cases, thirty belonged to the benign group of 88; other three cases had organic causes. Clinical diagnosis of Migraine was made in 37 cases out of these 88 cases. Attack of severe thunderclap headache is not an un-common emergency. Attack due to Subarachnoid haemorrhage [SAH] or other serious underlying disease cannot be distinguished from non specific headaches on clinical grounds alone. It is recommended that all such patients be hospitalized and investigated properly with CT scan and or lumbar puncture to distinguish between benign and organic headaches

[ case report: an atypical Kawasaki syndrome following aseptic meningitis in a 9-month old infant]

Kawasaki syndrome is an acute, sometimes fatal vasculitis of young children. The ethiology of the illness is unknown, but its clinical and epidemiologic features are most consistent with an infectious cause. We treated a 9-month-old infant with diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. He received wide spectrum antibiotics. He was clinically improved but in 8th day of admission he again developed pharyngitis, diarrhea and high grade fever. He has had raising of erythrocyte sedimentations rate [ESR] and thrombocytosis. According to these clinical manifestation with impression of atypical Kawasaki disease, treatment was started for him and after 24 hours his fever subsided and other clinical signs relieved. On the basis of this case report in the course of bacterial meningitis if the patient developed elevated ESR and fever, Kawasaki syndrome with the other complications of meningitis should be considered

Hipernatremia grave em paciente portadora de provável meningite asséptica / Acute hypernatremia in patient with probable asseptic meningitis

Nós descrevemos o caso de uma paciente que desenvolveu níveis séricos de sódio de 196 meq/L na véspera do óbito, e 202 meq/L nas amostras de sangue colhidas na manhä do óbito.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome with aseptic meningitis.

A case of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome with characteristic vesicles on the lateral aspect of the left pinna, evidence of infranuclear palsy of the left 7th cranial nerve, associated with same sided loss of taste sensation in the presulcal area of the tongue and perceptive deafness without vestibular disturbances is reported here. The patient had evidence of aseptic meningitis.

Manifestaçöes meníngeas na endocardite infecciosa / Maningeal manifestatious with infectious endocarditis

Säo apresentados três casos fatais de endocardite infecciosa tendo, entre os sintomas iniciais, manifestaçöes meníngeas clínicas e liquóricas que trouxeram dúvidas de interpretaçäo. No primeiro, havia pleocitose no líquor compatível com "meningite asséptica"; na realidade, esse caso foi uma endocardite subaguda no qual foi angiograficamente identificado aneurisma micótico de artéria cerebral média direita, que rompeu posteriormente. No segundo, as manifestaçöes clínicas foram de meningoencefalite piogênica e de hemorragia subaracnóide concomitantes. O terceiro paciente exibiu desde o início alteraçöes clínicas e liquóricas de meningite piogênica e, no segundo exame de líquor, o aspecto era de hemorragia subaracnóidea. Os estudos de necrópsia possibilitaram uma análise clinico-patológica correlata. Faz-se revisäo da literatura sobre as lesöes neurológicas na endocardite infecciosa, recebendo ênfase as alteraçöes meníngeas e os aneurismas micóticos

Inestabilidad ventilatoria en infecciones agudas del sistema nervioso central / Ventilatory inestability in acute infections of the central nervous system

Se evaluaron en forma retrospectiva 114 pacientes egresados del Hospital "Dr. F.J. Muñiz" con diagnóstico de infecciones agudas del sistema nervioso central. Se utilizó como criterio de inclusión, ausencia de patología pleuropulmonar concomitante, que se interpreta como posible factor desencadenante de un cuadro de insuficiencia respiratoria. Todos los pacientes fueron sometidos a asistencia respiratoria mecánica, por distintos criterios y con diferentes parámetros gasométricos previos. La tasa de letalidad global fue del 44,75 por ciento, hallándose en los pacientes ventilados, gasométricamente normales, previa asistencia respiratoria, el menor índice de letalidad, 13,63 por ciento en contraste con aquellos que fueron sometidos a ventilación mecánica con criterios de insuficiencia respiratoria, cuya mortalidad alcanzó el 61,76 por ciento. A pesar de tratarse de un estudio retrospectivo, se desea hacer hincapié en la necesidad de considerar los mecanismos compensatorios ante la hipertensión endocraneana, la hiperventilación, como una inestabilidad ventilatoria en sí, extremando las precauciones para indicar una asistencia ventilatoria precoz, para asegurar una ventilación alveolar efectiva