Spinal cord infarction as a severe complication of meningococcal meningitis

Extensive Spinal Cord Injury following Staphylococcus aureus Septicemia and Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is rarely complicated by spinal cord involvement in adults. We report a case of Staphylococcus aureus septicemia complicated by meningitis and extensive spinal cord injury, leading to ascending brain stem necrosis and death. This complication was investigated by magnetic resonance imaging which demonstrated intramedullary hyperintensity on T2-weighted images and by multimodality evoked potentials. Postmortem microscopic examination confirmed that the extensive spinal cord injury was of ischemic origin, caused by diffuse leptomeningitis and endarteritis.

Persistent visual loss as a complication of meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Cerebral infarction complicating meningococcal meningitis is recognized but uncommon. We describe a 3-year-old boy with parieto-occipital infarction secondary to meningococcal meningitis, resulting in permanent visual loss as the sole neurologic sequelae and, consequently, major implications for his subsequent development.