Ophthalmia neonatorum caused by Neisseria cinerea

Abstract

Neisseria cinerea is an organism that has only recently been implicated as a human pathogen. In this case, N. cinerea was identified as the cause of ophthalmia neonatorum (conjunctivitis) in a 2-day-old girl. Neisseria cinerea, although first recognized in Europe in 1906, was not described in the United States until 1984 (8).

Atypical, Yet Not Infrequent, Infections with Neisseria Species

“…Despite DGI being a rare complication, its incidence is currently increasing relative to the steady increase in the incidence of gonorrhea worldwide [45]. N. cinerea Blood Septicemia [127,128] Brain Meningitis [128] Genitourinary tract Genital infections [129] Urinary infection [130] Peritoneum Peritonitis [131] Eye Conjunctivitis/ophthalmia neonatorum [132,133] N. dumasiana Sputum (Insufficient clinical data) [134] N. elongata Heart Endocarditis [135,136] Blood Septicemia [137] Bone Osteomyelitis [138] N. flava Heart Rheumatic heart disease/ventricular septaldefect/endocarditis [139] Endocarditis [140] Blood Sepsis/conjunctival petechia [139] N. flavescens Heart Endocarditis [141,142] Brain Meningitis [143,144] Blood Septicemia [145,146] Lung Pneumonia/empyema [147] Genitourinary tract Genital infections [148] N. lactamica Brain Meningitis [149,150] Blood Septicemia [145,151] Pharynx Pharyngitis [152] Lung Cavitary lesion [153] Pneumonia [154] Genitourinary tract Genital infections [129,155,156] N. mucosa Heart Endocarditis [157][158][159] Brain Meningitis [160,161] Blood Septicemia…”

“…Thus, only exemplar reports are cited in this current review (Table 1). These cases and other pathologies associated with infection with non-pathogenic Neisseria spp., such us peritonitis [131,192], purulent wound and cellulitis [126], osteomyelitis [138], skin ulceration [195], visceral botryomycosis [165], neonatal conjunctivitis [132,133], and cystitis [168] have been thoroughly reviewed by Liu et al in 2015 [1] (Table 1).…”

Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Infections

“…Heart Endocarditis [122,123] Oral cavity/fistula Submandibular wound [124] Sputum Possible bronchitis [124] Sputa Possible bronchitis [124] Lung Lung abscess [124] Blood (Insufficient clinical data) [124] N. canis Lung Bronchiectasis [125] Skin Purulent wound/cellulitis [126] N. cinerea Blood Septicemia [127,128] Brain Meningitis [128] Genitourinary tract Genital infections [129] Urinary infection [130] Peritoneum Peritonitis [131] Eye Conjunctivitis/ophthalmia neonatorum [132,133] N. dumasiana Sputum (Insufficient clinical data) [134] Table 1. Cont.…”

Focal Bacterial Infections

“…Less commonly, other microorganisms have been implicated as a cause of conjunctivitis, including group A streptococci, GBS, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae (nontypable [591] and group b [667]), P. aeruginosa, Moraxella (Neisseria) catarrhalis [668], Neisseria meningitidis [669], Corynebacterium diphtheriae [670], Pasteurella multocida [671], Clostridium species [672], herpes simplex virus, echoviruses, M. hominis, and Candida species. In addition to meningococcal infections, other Neisseria species can be confused with gonococcal infections; Neisseria cinerea has been reported to cause conjunctivitis that was indistinguishable from gonococcal infection [673].…”