[A rare and serious complication of spinal anesthesia: bacterial meningitis]

Bacterial meningitis following spinal anaesthesia is a rare but serious complication. We describe a case in which an old woman received spinal anaesthesia for hip replacement. Diagnosing the aetiologic agent is a major medical challenge. The possible aetiological causes of this complication are discussed and the difficulty in differentiation between aseptic and bacterial meningitis noted.