SUMMARY -A rare case of recurrent meningitis due to congenital anterior sacral meningocele and agenesis of the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae is described. An autosomal dominant inheritance is demonstrated for lower cord malformation, and environmental factors (chromic acid or fumes) are discussed.KEY WORDS: recurrent meningitis, neural tube defects, inherited diseases.Meningite recorrente em um paciente com meningocele sacral anterior e agenesia sacral e coccigea Recurrent meningitis is a condition due to, among other causes, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulae through structures like the cribriform plate, stapedial footplate and spinal cord, which develops from congenital defects.infections, infiltrative tumors, traumas or surgeries. We report a rare case of recurrent meningitis related to congenital anterior sacral meningocele and agenesis of the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae.
CASE REPORTSS, a one year old healthy white male infant, became feverish 35 days before admission. Otitis was diagnosed and amoxicillin prescribed. After a 13 day course, the fever continued and the patient became irritable. Bacterial meningitis was diagnosed on the basis of the remarkable number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes/ mm 3 in the CSF and normal brain computerized tomography (CT). No microoganisms were identified by anaerobic or aerobic cultures. Treatment with ampicillin was then started. This was his second episode of bacterial meningitis. The first occurred at 4 months of age, when the patient was seen at another hospital, and improved within two weeks. No germ was detected in the first episode, probably due to the administration of a systemic antibiotic for *São Paulo University, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; ** Campinas University, Brazil Aceite: 9-agosto-1995. RESUMO -Um caso raro de meningite recorrente devido a meningocele sacral anterior e agenesia das vértebras sacras coccígeas é descrito. Herança autossômica dominante para malformação medular caudal é demonstrada e, possíveis fatores ambientais (ligados ao cromo), são discutidos. PALAVRAS -CHAVE: meningite recorrente, malformação do tubo neural, doenças hereditárias.