Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection with Mycobacterium abscessus: A Rare Cause of Ventriculitis

Mycobacterium abscessus Complex-Associated Chronic Meningitis: Time to Think Beyond Tuberculosis

Background

Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MabC) has emerged as an important cause of human infections, including meningitis. In the absence of correct microbiological identification, cases of MabC meningitis are treated with conventional anti-tubercular therapy, thereby worsening the outcome.

Objective

The current study was conducted to determine the clinical features, antimicrobial susceptibility, and outcome of patients with MabC meningitis.

Material and Methods

Cerebrospinal fluid specimens processed between 2011 and 2021 were subjected to smear, culture, MALDI TOF identification, hsp65 gene sequencing, and susceptibility testing using Sensititre™ RAPMYCOI plates along with a literature review.

Results

12 cases of MabC meningitis were identified between 2011 and 2021, 11 of which were M. abscessus subspecies abscessus on hsp65 gene sequencing. A pioneer case of meningitis with M. abscessus subspecies bolletii was also identified. The common predispositions were TB elsewhere, HIV positivity, and head injury. Two patients had dual infections, both MabC and TB. Ten patients succumbed to infection with a mean survival of 11 months. All isolates were susceptible to amikacin and tigecycline and subspecies bolletii had a higher minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) than subspecies abscessus. A combined analysis with the available literature, reporting 19 more cases, revealed that the overall mortality of MabC meningitis was 61.3% (19/31) and that of shunt-associated/neurosurgical intervention-related MabC meningitis was 66.7% (12/20). To date, out of 20 MabC meningitis isolates in which subspecies identification was carried, 13 were M. abscessus, six were M. massiliense, and one was M. bolletii.

Conclusion

MabC is an important differential diagnosis of chronic meningitis. Prompt identification and speciation are imperative for targeted therapy, thus improving the overall patient outcome.

Mycobacterium abscessus peritonitis and ventriculitis associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Mycobacterium abscessus, like most nontuberculous mycobacteria, is a pervasive organism. It frequently presents as a healthcare-associated infection. Mycobacterium abscessus infections are notoriously difficult to treat, requiring multidrug regimens and a prolonged treatment course. The patient is a 39 year old hispanic female with a history of pseudotumor cerebri with ventriculoperitoneal shunt which had recently been removed due to concern for infection. She presented with complaints of headaches, blurry vision, nausea, vomiting, slowed speech, inability to void and difficulty with memory. One month into this hospitalization, a new shunt was placed for symptomatic hydrocephalus. She began to exhibit signs of clinical worsening with confusion and echolalia, so her shunt was removed. Intraoperatively the peritoneal catheter of the shunt was noted to have a viscous secretion around it. Cultures of this fluid and samples from the cerebrospinal fluid grew Mycobacterium abscessus. Shunt-associated central nervous system infections with Mycobacterium abscessus are rare and difficult to treat. Treatment of M. abscessus is complicated by inducible macrolide resistance and some inherent resistance to many antibiotics.

Mycobaterium fortuitum disseminated infection in an immunocompetent patient without predisposing factors

Most Mycobacterium fortuitum infections described involve direct inoculation through skin lesions. We describe the case of a patient without risk factors who presented with an intracranial mass and a pulmonary infection with M. fortuitum As M. fortuitum are rarely pathogens, there is little knowledge about the optimal treatment and outcome of such infections: what is the best mode of administration, what is the best therapy duration and is surgery always required are some of the unanswered questions. In our patient, surgical removal of the mass associated with a 1-year antimycobacterial therapy led to a full recovery. Even though M. fortuitum was rapidly identified in sputum, it was initially considered non-pathogenic and the definitive diagnosis required almost 6 weeks of investigations. New molecular techniques will probably lead to more identifications of M. fortuitum in the next few years and a better knowledge of their possible pathogenicity and optimal treatment.

Polymicrobial Intracerebral Abscess Growing Mycobacterium avium Complex and Achromobacter xylosoxidans: Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Achromobacter xylosoxidans (AX) are uncommon sources of neurosurgical infections, particularly in immunocompetent hosts. We report the first published case of intracranial AX abscess and polymicrobial AX-MAC abscess, as well as the fourth MAC abscess in a non-immunocompromised patient.

METHODS

This case report was conducted via retrospective chart review. A literature review was completed in compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.

RESULTS

Ten years following mucocele resection, a 60-year-old man presented with sinus congestion and headache. Head imaging revealed a left frontal lesion abutting the cribriform plate and ethmoid roof. The patient had a left frontal craniotomy for abscess drainage. Intraoperative cultures demonstrated polymicrobial growth of AX and MAC, managed with antimicrobial therapy and staged skull base reconstruction. Three cases of MAC abscess and 16 cases of AX ventriculitis or meningitis have been reported in immunocompetent patients. All MAC cerebral abscesses occurred in adults, one of whom succumbed to the infection. Of the 9 AX meningitis cases, 4 occurred in neonates and 2 in pediatric patients. Six of the 7 AX ventriculitis cases occurred after neurosurgical operations at the same hospital from contaminated chlorhexidine basins. Except for the neonates, AX ventriculitis or meningitis patients had undergone neurosurgery or had a history of cranial trauma. There were no reports of polymicrobial AX-MAC intracranial abscess.

CONCLUSIONS

AX and MAC are rare causes of intracranial infection. Patients with these pathogens identified in the central nervous system require a multidisciplinary approach for successful management.

Mycobacterium fortuitum ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection in an immunocompromised patient: A case report

We present a case of Mycobacterium fortuitum ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection in a 26-year-old immunocompromised woman. The patient was treated with revision and replacement of her peritoneal shunt and prolonged combination antimicrobial therapy. There are no established guidelines for the treatment of VP shunt infections due to M. fortuitum. We review the literature and provide treatment recommendations.

Pediatric Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection: The Role of Shunt Tract Debridement in Mycobacterium abscessus Eradication

Ventricular shunt infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria are uncommon, and those caused by Mycobacterium abscessus are particularly rare. This mycobacterium is intrinsically resistant to first-line anti-tuberculous drugs and is considered the most pathogenic of the atypical, rapidly growing mycobacteria. Given the paucity of reported M. abscessus ventricular shunt infections, the appropriate surgical treatment for these cases, especially in the pediatric setting, has yet to be described. The authors present a 4-year-old male with history of intraventricular hemorrhage resulting in hydrocephalus who presented with an M. abscessus ventricular shunt infection that disseminated to the skin and soft tissue of the entire shunt tract. Despite aggressive antimicrobial therapy, several shunt exchanges, and numerous incisions and debridements of separate infected tract areas, the patient's clinical course was prolonged by multiple relapses and re-admissions. Only after opening and debriding the entire length of the infected tract, which measured 100 cm and extended from the scalp to the groin, and months of intrathecal antibiotics did CSF and tissue culture results become negative, and the entire tract was able to be closed. This article describes the management of the second-encountered pediatric M. abscessus shunt infection along with the management of the 4 previously reported cases. In addition, it highlights the vital role of early, aggressive surgical debridement to achieve infection eradication.

Central Nervous System Infections Caused by Mycobacterium abscessus: Ventricular Shunt Infection in Two Pediatric Patients and Literature Review

A 4-year-old former 24-week gestation male and an 18-month-old former 26-week gestation female, both with history of intraventricular hemorrhage resulting in hydrocephalus, presented with Mycobacterium abscessus ventricular shunt infections affecting both the shunt track and the ventricular fluid. Both children required prolonged combination antimycobacterial therapy; the 4 years old required more than 2 months of triple intravenous antibiotics and intraventricular amikacin to sterilize the cerebrospinal fluid. Each infection came under control only after removal of all foreign material and multiple and extensive adjunctive surgical procedures to excise infected shunt track tissue. Central nervous system infections caused by M. abscessus are rare, and their management is challenging: prolonged antimicrobial therapy is required, adverse effects from antibiotics are common and rates of mortality and morbidity are high.

Mycobacterium abscessus Infections in Children: A Review of Current Literature

There is limited literature on Mycobacterium abscessus infections in children and limited data about its diagnosis and management. The incidence of infections due to M abscessus appears to be increasing in certain populations and can be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.Management of these infections is challenging and relies on combination antimicrobial therapy and debridement of diseased tissue, depending on the site and extent of disease. Treatment regimens often are difficult to tolerate, and the antimicrobials used can cause significant adverse effects, particularly given the long duration of therapy needed.This review summarizes the literature and includes information from our own institution's experience on pediatric M abscessus infections including the epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, and the management of these infections. Adult data have been used where there are limited pediatric data. Further studies regarding epidemiology and risk factors, clinical presentation, optimal treatment, and outcomes in children are necessary.

Incidental intraoperative diagnosis of Mycobacterium abscessus meningeal infection: a case report and review of the literature

PURPOSE

Mycobacterium abscessus, and rapidly growing mycobacteria in general, are rare but increasing causes of central nervous system (CNS) infections. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of considering these microorganism in the differential diagnosis of CNS infections, obtaining a prompt diagnosis, and improving clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Case report and literature review.

RESULTS

We report a case of meningeal infection in a patient who underwent decompressive craniectomy after a craniofacial trauma. The diagnosis was made analyzing a sample obtained during a second operation of cranioplasty. A regimen of amikacin, clarithromycin, and imipenem/cilastatin was started. In the following days, the patient experienced a variety of side effects. So, first clarithromycin was replaced with linezolid, then amikacin was stopped and cefoxitin added to the therapy and at the end all the antibiotics were withdrawn. The patient was discharged in good conditions and a clinical interdisciplinary follow-up was started. After 12 months, the patient is still doing well. After a literature analysis, 15 cases of M. abscessus CNS infections were identified. Various modes of acquisition, underlying disease and therapeutic schemes were evident.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the results of the literature analysis and the increasing incidence of M. abscessus, all specialists involved in the management of CNS infection should be aware of the importance of atypical microorganisms in differential diagnosis.

Atypical Wound Pathogens

BACKGROUND

Atypical wound pathogens may be so described because they are uncommon pathogens of soft tissue among human beings, or because they may be fastidious and difficult to recover/isolate in the laboratory.

METHODS

A review of pertinent English-language literature was performed.

RESULTS

These wound pathogens are a diverse lot, including aerobic and anaerobic gram-positive and gram-negative bacilli, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and bacteria that cannot be characterized conventionally because they lack a cell wall (the Mycoplasmataceae). They are diverse with respect to their virulence, but many are opportunistic pathogens.

CONCLUSIONS

Among these atypical pathogens, clinical reports are most common of wound infections caused by Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma (sometimes as co-infecting agents), and the so-called rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (Runyon Type IV; e.g., M. chelonae).

Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria

Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) compose approximately one-half of the currently validated mycobacterial species and are divided into six major groups, including the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, M. chelonae/M. abscessus complex, M. smegmatis group, M. mucogenicum group, M. mageritense / M. wolinskyi , and the pigmented RGM. This review discusses each group and highlights the major types of infections associated with each group. Additionally, phenotypic and molecular laboratory identification methods, including gene sequencing, mass spectrometry, and the newly emerging whole-genome sequencing, are detailed, along with a discussion of the current antimicrobial susceptibility methods and patterns of the most common pathogenic species.