Recurrent pneumococcal meningitis in a child with transethmoidal encephalocele: a case report and review of literature

Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening infection with a low recurrence rate. However, this possibility has always to be considered and avoided. This case report concerns a 5-year-old girl who was admitted in our Emergency Pediatric Unit for symptoms of bacterial meningitis and signs of disseminated intra-vascular coagulopathy. After a successful treatment the girl was discharged in good health. She was admitted to our hospital after one year with the same symptoms of meningitis. Laboratory examinations confirm the admittance suspect. An accurate research allowed to find out immunological deficiencies and showed an occult malformation, transethmoidal encephalocele, responsible for the recurrent meningitis. The present case suggests that the opportunity to perform an accurate cerebral imaging study (with special attention to the ethmoidal region and inner ear) in all cases of meningitis to detect occult anatomical alterations, thus preventing infectious recurrence, should always be taken into account.

[Presence and significance of anticardiolipin antibodies in infectious diseases]

IgG and IgM anti-cardiolipin antibodies were measured, by an ELISA technique, in the sera of patients with B hepatitis (28), infectious mononucleosis (10), chicken pox (12), HIV infection (20), acquired toxoplasmosis (41) and other infectious diseases [HBsAg+ chronic hepatitis (5), brucellosis (6), herpes zoster (4), boutonneuse fever (3), viral pneumonitis (4), rheumatic fever (2)]. Increased levels of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL), at least in one immunoglobulin class, were detected in 37 out of 135 patients [27.4%; range: 7.3% (in the patients with toxoplasmosis) -80% (in the patients with HIV infection)]. Low or medium titer aCL were present in 28 patients, high titer in 9 (6 with HIV infection, 2 with chicken pox and I with lymphoadenopathic toxoplasmosis). None of the manifestations associated with aCL was present in the aCL-positive patients. Finally, positivity for aCL didn't seem to modify the clinical picture and the prognosis of the infectious disease.

[Alcohol and idiopathic dilatated cardiomyopathy: a pathogenetic hypothesis]

In a group of 120 chronic alcoholics, we observed two cases of severe dilated cardiomyopathy, fatal within a year, similar to the so called "idiopathic" form, among cases of cardiovascular involvement related to alcohol abuse (63.5%) but susceptible of improvement following abstention. On the basis of their observation we believe that alcohol itself, as has already been demonstrated for certain viruses, in the presence of particular genetic factors can cause the onset of an immune reaction able to impart an autonomous course which cannot be checked even after abstention from alcohol.

[Clinical contribution to the problem of correlations between hereditary angioneurotic edema and pregnancy]

Hereditary angioneurotic edema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by a deficiency of a complement regulatory protein, the C1INH.HAE is clinically characterized by recurrent, self-limited attacks of edema involving the extremities, face, upper respiratory tract or gastrointestinal tract. Pregnancy in a woman affected by HAE poses therapeutical problems. In fact, prophylactic treatment with danazole or tranexamic acid is control indicated in a pregnant woman. However HAE shows a favourable course in most cases and the delivery, despite the local trauma, is not usually associated with complications. But the occasional occurrence of local edema and the literature report of a death in postpartum, suggest the administration of purified C1INH prophylactically before the delivery. HAE, per sé, neither alters the evolution of pregnancy nor does foetus harm. The A. report on a 22-years old primigravida affected by HAE. She had no attack during the whole gestation, the delivery and the postpartum. She was given 1000 units of purified C1INH concentrate both four hours before the delivery and 24 hours after it.