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Streptococcus pneumoniae meningoencephalitis with bilateral basal ganglia necrosis: an unusual complication due to

Jessy Magnus1, Paul M Parizel, Berten Ceulemans

  • 1Department of (Pediatric) Critical Care Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Journal of Child Neurology
|June 17, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This case report details a 4-month-old infant with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis, presenting with rare basal ganglia necrosis. This highlights unusual neurological complications in pediatric bacterial meningitis.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in infants.
  • Meningitis can result in severe neurological deficits or mortality.
  • Infants are particularly vulnerable to severe central nervous system infections.

Observation:

  • A 4-month-old boy presented with meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • Brain imaging revealed bilateral symmetrical necrosis of the lentiform and caudate nuclei, and thalamus.
  • MRI showed signs suggestive of hemorrhagic transformation in the affected brain regions.

Findings:

  • Autopsy confirmed widespread basal ganglia necrosis and vasculitis.
  • This pattern of basal ganglia lesions is exceptionally rare in children with S pneumoniae meningoencephalitis.
  • Such findings have been documented only a few times in adults and not previously in pediatric cases.

Implications:

  • This case expands the spectrum of known neurological complications of S pneumoniae meningitis in infants.
  • It underscores the importance of considering rare but severe brain lesions in pediatric meningitis.
  • Further research may elucidate the specific mechanisms leading to basal ganglia vasculitis in this context.

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