[Bacterial meningitis in adults: a retrospective multicentric study in Tuscany (Italy)]. / Le meningiti batteriche dell'adulto: studio retrospettivo multicentrico della Toscana.

The Infectious Diseases Unit of Lucca Hospital conducted a multicentric retrospective study to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features of adult patients affected by bacterial meningitis attending all the Infectious Diseases Units of Tuscany (Italy) from July 1999 to June 2004. A specific questionnaire was sent to all the units to collect information about each case of bacterial meningitis occurring in patients older than sixteen. Patients with meningitis by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were excluded from the analysis. Nine out of 12 Infectious Diseases Units of Tuscany took part in the study and 197 cases were identified. Most cases of meningitis occurred during 2002 with a slight reduction in cases in subsequent years. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis were the most frequently isolated pathogens with an increase in diagnosis from 1999 to 2004; in 23.8% of patients no pathogens were isolated, with a reduction in meningitis from unknown aetiology from 1999 to 2004. Most patients were treated with a combination of two antibiotics, and corticosteroid drugs were added to the therapy; in the group of patients treated with corticosteroid drugs invalidating complications occurred in 23% of cases and 5% of patients died. In all, 27 out of 197 subjects (13.7%) developed invalidating complications and 20 out of 197 patients (10.2%) died.

Melioidosis in a traveller from Thailand: case report.

A 42-year old Italian male with type 2 diabetes and HCV-related chronic hepatitis spent 6 months in Thailand. After his return in June 2002 he was admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Hospital of Livorno (Italy) because of fever, chest pain and skin abscesses in the legs. Chest X-rays and CT scan revealed multiple bilateral cavitary lesions in the lungs. Ultrasonography and CT scan showed numerous subcentimetric spleen abscesses. Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated from the cutaneous lesions and sputum and thus melioidosis was diagnosed. A 6-week course of i.v. ceftazidime plus oral doxycycline was given during the acute phase of the illness. The in vitro susceptibility testing showed that long-term (20 weeks) antimicrobial therapy with doxycycline and moxifloxacin was required. Complete resolution of pulmonary and spleen lesions was obtained within 6 weeks of therapy and of cutaneous abscesses in 10 weeks. No significant side effects were noted during the follow-up period using this scheme of antimicrobial therapy.

[Attempted suicide during interferon therapy: a case report and literature review] / Tentato suicidio in corso di terapia con interferon: descrizione di un caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Occasionally, in the medical literature, attempted or successful suicides during interferon therapy are reported. We report a case of a 32-year-old man who developed a psychotic syndrome with attempted suicide at the third month of treatment. The cessation of interferon and an appropriate psychiatric therapy determined a complete remission of symptoms. A medical literature review, through several computerized searches, showed a lack of research into the subject. The main conclusion of our article emphasizes the importance of recognizing the early neuropsychiatric symptoms, that are reversible at the cessation of treatment.