[Severe infections due to Streptococcus milleri in children]

Streptococcus milleri (S. milleri) is found in healthy individuals in the mouth, nasopharynx, throat, vagina and in feces, and has been reported to be isolated from several infectious diseases in man, particularly from abscess in various parts of the body. We report two cases of severe infections due to S. milleri isolated from subdural abscess and pleural empyema. [Case 1] 13 year old boy who had been healthy until he was noticed to have meningeal signs and was diagnosed as left subdural abscess with siagonantritis by cranial CT scans. S. milleri was isolated from subdural abscess and maxillary sinus. [Case 2] 10 year old boy who had encephalitis and severe mental retardation after measles at 6 months of age. He had a fever, dyspnea and chest X-ray abnormalities and was diagnosed as right pleural empyema. Three strains of organism, S milleri, Bacteroides spp. and Fusobacterium nucleatum were isolated from the pleural effusion.