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Human Tuberculous Meningitis Caused by Mycobacterium caprae
Niels Hansen1, Carola Seiler, Julian Rumpf
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
Case Reports in Neurology
|April 27, 2012
Summary
This study reports the first case of tuberculous meningitis (TM) caused by Mycobacterium caprae (MC). The identification was confirmed using phenotypic and genotypic methods, highlighting a rare cause of bacterial meningitis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
Background:
- Tuberculous meningitis (TM) is a severe infection with significant human morbidity and mortality.
- TM is typically caused by bacteria within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), including M. tuberculosis and M. bovis.
Observation:
- A case of meningitis in an 80-year-old patient treated with fosfomycin showed partial effectiveness.
- Cerebrospinal fluid culture after a myocardial infarction revealed Mycobacterium caprae (MC).
- Initial identification as MTBC was confirmed by 16S rDNA PCR, with species-specific identification via gyrB PCR-RFLP.
Findings:
- The isolated MC strain exhibited dysgonic growth on Lowenstein-Jensen medium.
- The strain demonstrated susceptibility to pyrazinamide (PZA).
- Phenotypic and genotypic analyses confirmed the isolate as MC.
Implications:
- This case represents the first documented instance of Mycobacterium caprae causing tuberculous meningitis.
- The findings expand the known spectrum of causative agents for TM.
- Further research into MC as a cause of meningitis is warranted.
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