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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Listeria monocytogenes Infection of the Brain
Published on: October 2, 2018
Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in an immunocompromised patient
Simone Barocci1, Alessio Mancini, Benedetta Canovari
1ASUR Marche AV2, O.U. Clinical Pathology, Senigallia (AN), Italy.
Abstract:
This report describes a case of meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a stem cell transplant recipient on immunosuppressive therapy for cutaneous chronic graft-versus host disease. A 59-year-old woman had undergone allogeneic stem cell transplantation (from a matched unrelated donor) 13 months previously for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She was on regular hematologic follow-up. Though her previous malignancy has been in remission, she was immunosuppressed due to the pharmacological treatment. We describe a meningitis caused by a typical food-borne pathogen, dangerous in patients with impaired cell-mediated immunity. Moreover the bacterium had a multidrug resistance, a rare characteristic in clinical listeriosis. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are key factors in these cases. We chose ampicillin and rifampicin that allowed a complete resolution of the clinical manifestations.
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