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Postsurgical Pantoea calida meningitis: a case report
Shirley Fritz, Nadim Cassir, Remy Noudel
1URMITE, UMR63 CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France. michel.drancourt@univ-amu.fr.
Introduction:
Pantoea calida, a recently described environmental Enterobacteriaceae organism, has not yet been associated with human infection.
Case Presentation:
We report a case of postoperative meningitis caused by P. calida. After pituitary adenoma resection, a 52-year-old Caucasian woman developed febrile meningitis confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis. P. calida was grown in pure culture from this fluid and was firmly identified with partial rpoB gene sequencing. She was cured by a 14-day course of meropenem.
Conclusions:
P. calida must be added to the list of opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae pathogens responsible for postsurgical meningitis. It is easily identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
Insights
Pantoea calida, an environmental bacterium, has been identified as a cause of meningitis following surgery. This opportunistic pathogen is easily detected using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Pantoea calida is a recently identified environmental bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.
- Previously, P. calida had not been linked to any human infections.
- This case highlights a novel association between P. calida and human disease.
Observation:
- A 52-year-old woman developed febrile meningitis after pituitary adenoma resection.
- Cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed meningitis.
- Pantoea calida was isolated in pure culture from the cerebrospinal fluid.
Findings:
- The bacterium was identified as P. calida using partial rpoB gene sequencing.
- The patient was successfully treated with a 14-day course of meropenem.
- Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can readily identify P. calida.
Implications:
- Pantoea calida should be recognized as a potential opportunistic pathogen causing postsurgical meningitis.
- This finding expands the spectrum of Enterobacteriaceae implicated in human infections.
- Accurate and rapid identification of P. calida is crucial for appropriate patient management.
