Mycoplasmahominis meningitis in an extremely preterm infant: a case report and literature review / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of neonatal meningitis caused by Mycoplasma hominis. Methods:We present the clinical data, diagnosis and treatment of a premature infant with Mycoplasma hominis meningitis who was admitted to the Department of Neonatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in June 2020. Relevant literature up to May 2021 was retrieved with the strategy of "( Mycoplasma hominis) AND (meningitis OR central nervous system OR cerebrospinal fluid) AND (newborn)" from CNKI, Wanfang, and PubMed database. The clinical manifestations, examinations, diagnosis, treatments and prognosis of cases with complete clinical data were summarized using two-sample rank sum test. Results:A premature female infant at gestational age of 27 +4 weeks presented with repeated low-grade fever and apnea since the 7 days of life. Cerebrospinal fluid testing in a local hospital showed neutrophil-based leukocytosis, which indicated purulent meningitis. However, empiric antibiotic treatment did not improve the infant's condition. The patient was transferred to our hospital due to dyspnea for 32 days and repeated fever for 25 days. Mycoplasma hominis was detected from the cerebrospinal fluid samples using metagenomic next generation sequencing (NGS). Treatment with erythromycin was ineffective, but the patient improved and discharged after changing to chloramphenicol for 18 d without any side effects. A total of 21 English articles were retrieved, and no Chinese literature was retrieved, involving 22 infants. Of the 23 cases including the present case, 14 were preterm, eight were term and one with no available data; 19 were born by vaginal delivery; the median age of onset was 11.0 d ( P25- P75 7.0-18.0 d). The initial symptoms included fever, convulsions, irritability, and apnea. Blood routine examination showed elevated white blood cell count in ten cases and elevated C-reactive protein in seven cases. In the cerebrospinal fluid testing, white blood cell count increased in 19 cases, protein increased in 20 cases, and glucose decreased in 13 cases. Eight cases were confirmed by 16S RNA polymerase chain reaction amplification technology, seven by serum antibodies test, two cases by culture and microscopic findings, two cases by culture alone, one case by Mycoplasma kit, and one by NGS. The main treatment was the administration of tetracyclines, quinolones, chloramphenicol, lincosamides, etc. (alone or in combination). Two cases improved without using special anti- Mycoplasma drugs. Of the 23 patients, 15 had hydrocephalus, eight had intracranial hemorrhage, four had cerebral ischemic infarction, and two had cerebral abscess. Four cases had good prognosis,16 cases had adverse prognosis, and other three without available data. The median time to start sensitive antibiotic therapy in children with good prognosis was 4.5 d(3.6-5.0 d) after diagnosis, which was earlier than that in children with adverse prognosis [16.8 d (7.0-25.0 d)]( Z=－2.27, P=0.023). Conclusions:Mycoplasma hominis infection has non-specific clinical manifestations and should be considered for infants with intracranial infection that is not responding to empirical antibiotic treatment. NGS is helpful in detecting Mycoplasma hominis and chloramphenicol can be an option for the treatment.