<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Adult Patient

Vol. 14, No. 1, 2005

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Case Report

Listeria monocytogenes Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Adult Patient
W.Y. Jamal^a, S. Al-Shomari^b, F. Boland^a, V.O. Rotimi^a,c

^aDepartment Microbiology, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital,
^bDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Mubarak Hospital, and
^cDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait

Address of Corresponding Author

Med Princ Pract 2005;14:55-57 (DOI: 10.1159/000081925)

Key Words

Listeria monocytogenes
Meningitis
Immunocompetent adult

Abstract

Objective: To report an interesting case of meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in an immunocompetent adult. Patient and Methods: A previously healthy 25-year-old man presented with typical clinical features of meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained on the day of admission for biochemical and microbiological investigations. In addition, blood was also taken for culture and hematological studies. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using the Etest method. Microscopic examination of the CSF showed pleocytosis, which was predominantly lymphocytic, while the biochemical investigation revealed raised concentrations of protein and lactic acid as well as decreased glucose concentration. A 24-hour culture yielded pure growth of gram-positive bacilli identified by standard methods as L. monocytogenes. It was susceptible to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The patient was treated with intravenous ampicillin combined with gentamicin and made a complete recovery. Conclusion: This presentation describes an unusual case of meningitis caused by L. monocytogenes in a previously healthy young adult with no risk factor. Only a few similar cases have been reported in the literature.

Author Contacts

Prof. V.O. Rotimi
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine
Kuwait University, PO Box 24923
13110 Safat (Kuwait)
Tel. +965 531 2300, ext. 6509, Fax +965 533 2719, E-Mail vincent@hsc.edu.kw

Article Information

Received: July 21, 2003
Revised: October 14, 2003
Number of Print Pages : 3
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 12

Medline Abstract (ID 15608483)

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