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

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.

A life‐devastating cause of gastroenteritis in an immunocompetent host: was it suspected?

“…Like other causes of bacteremia, listeriosis can cause fulminant disease, presenting with severe systemic illness leading to distributive shock and multiorgan failure, usually in the immunocompromised. Although there are several case reports of Listeria meningoencephalitis in immunocompetent hosts, the presence of sepsis secondary to Listeria in otherwise healthy individuals, as in our patient, is extremely uncommon . Only the two patients reported by Von Rotz et al.…”

Listeria Monocytogenes Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient

“…Similar to our case, the source of infection could not be determined. 8 Another case of meningitis caused by LM in a previously healthy patient is described by Brebenariu et al In this case, the source of infection was occupational exposure. 9 Furthermore, Tiri et al in their case review presented an interesting case of LM brain abscess in an immunocompetent adult patient.…”

A case report of iatrogenic deterioration of yet undiagnosed Rhombencephalitis; always be careful with corticoids

“…In this case the thorough interview was crucial, because cultures remained negative for a long time. Previous cases also describe the frustrations in the diagnostic process, that are caused by both the atypical presentation and the often negative cultures [2, 3, 8–11]. This emphasizes the need of a structural awareness of the diagnosis of listeria rhombencephalitis and the utmost importance of a structured thorough interview in case of a non-specific clinical presentation.…”