[Anaerobic bacterial meningitis with multiple brain abscesses]

The improvement of bacteriological techniques for isolation and identification of anaerobes has led to an increased interest in anaerobic infections. However, anaerobes have only rarely been found in cases of purulent meningitis, representing less than 1 percent of all isolated pathogens. We observed anaerobic meningitis in a patient suffering from multiple lung abscesses from which anaerobic bacteria spread to the brain, causing formation of anaerobic brain abscesses and consecutive meningitis. Microbiological examinations for anaerobes should be performed in those cases of meningitis in which purulent infections of other organs with known or suspected anaerobic etiology are present or in which a traumatic lesion of the subarachnoid space has preceded the development of meningitis.