Recurrent meningitis in children: etiologies, outcome, and lessons to learn

High-risk factors associated with refractory childhood bacterial meningitis in Southwest China

BACKGROUND

Refractory bacterial meningitis is acute, develops rapidly, and has higher mortality and morbidity than common bacterial meningitis. This study was undertaken to investigate the high-risk factors related to refractory bacterial meningitis in children with positive pathogens.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 109 patients who had bacterial meningitis. The patients were divided into a refractory group (96 patients) and nonrefractory group (13 patients) based on the classification criteria. Seventeen clinical variables on risk factors were extracted and evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

There were 64 males and 45 females. The onset age ranged from 1 month old to 12 years old, and the median age was 181 days old. The pathogenic bacteria included 67 cases of gram-positive (G+) bacteria (61.5%) and 42 cases of gram-negative (G-) bacteria. In patients who were 1 to 3 months old, E. coli was the most common (47.5%), followed by Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus hemolyticus (10.0%); in patients > 3 months old, S. pneumoniae was the most common (55.1%), followed by E. coli (8.7%). The multivariate analysis indicated that consciousness disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 13.050), peripheral blood C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 50 mg/L (OR = 29.436), and the isolate bacteria being gram-positive bacteria (OR = 8.227) were independent risk factors for predicting who would progress to refractory bacterial meningitis in this group.

CONCLUSION

For patients who have pathogenic positive bacterial meningitis along with consciousness disorder, CRP ≥ 50 mg/L, and/or have an isolate bacteria that is a G + bacteria, it is important to be alert to the potential for progression to refractory bacterial meningitis, which demands the physicians' significant attention.

A Retrospective Study of Recurrent Bacterial Meningitis in Children: Etiology, Clinical Course, and Treatment

Objectives

Recurrent bacterial meningitis (RBM) is a rare but life-threatening disease. This study aims to analyze the clinical features, potential causes, and therapeutic outcomes of RBM in children.

Methods

This article retrospectively reviews the clinical characteristics, etiologies, and treatments in children with RBM hospitalized in Hebei children's hospital from 2012 to 2020.

Results

A total of 10 children with RBM, five males and five females, were included in this study. The age of RBM in children spans from the neonatal stage to the childhood stage. The underlying illnesses were identified and classified as cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (1 case), humoral immunodeficiency with Mondini dysplasia (1 case), common cavity deformity with cerebrospinal fluid ear leakage (1 case), Mondini malformations (2 cases), incomplete cochlear separation type I with a vestibular enlargement (2 cases), local inflammation of the sphenoid bone caused by cellulitis (1 case), congenital skull base defects (1 case), and congenital dermal sinus with intraspinal abscess (1 case). 6 patients chose targeted therapy for potential reasons.

Conclusions

Congenital abnormalities or acquired injuries lead to intracranial communication with the outside world, which can quickly become a portal for bacterial invasion of the central nervous system, resulting in repeated infections.

Predisposing conditions for bacterial meningitis in children: what radiologists need to know

A variety of underlying diseases can predispose infants and children to bacterial meningitis (BM). For the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of its recurrence, radiologists should be familiar with its predisposing conditions so that they can suggest the appropriate imaging approach. Predisposing conditions of BM can be broadly classified into two categories: infection spread from the adjacent tissue to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space and immunodeficiency. Diseases in the former category are further divided according to regardless of whether there is a structural defect between the CSF space and the adjacent tissue. When a structural defect is suspected in a patient with BM, computed tomography (CT) of the head and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are first-line imaging examinations. Radionuclide cisternography should be implemented as a second-line step to identify the CSF leak site. In patients with suspected parameningeal infection without any structural defect, such as sinusitis or otitis media/mastoiditis, CT or MR images can identify not only the disease itself but also the associated intracranial complications. The purpose of this article is to discuss the diagnostic approach and imaging findings associated with the variety of conditions predisposing patients to recurrent BM, focusing on the role of radiology in their management.

Bacterial Meningitis in Children: Neurological Complications, Associated Risk Factors, and Prevention

Bacterial meningitis is a devastating infection, with a case fatality rate of up to 30% and 50% of survivors developing neurological complications. These include short-term complications such as focal neurological deficit and subdural effusion, and long-term complications such as hearing loss, seizures, cognitive impairment and hydrocephalus. Complications develop due to bacterial toxin release and the host immune response, which lead to neuronal damage. Factors associated with increased risk of developing neurological complications include young age, delayed presentation and Streptococcus pneumoniae as an etiologic agent. Vaccination is the primary method of preventing bacterial meningitis and therefore its complications. There are three vaccine preventable causes: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), S. pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis. Starting antibiotics without delay is also critical to reduce the risk of neurological complications. Additionally, early adjuvant corticosteroid use in Hib meningitis reduces the risk of hearing loss and severe neurological complications.