Neonatal Citrobacter meningitis: pathogenesis of cerebral abscess formation

In 2 premature infants with brief survival, the major pathological feature of Citrobacter meningitis consisted of vasculitis and infarction with necrosis and liquefaction of large portions of the white matter of the hemispheres. Areas of decreased density demonstrated on computed tomographic head scan represented infarction with necrosis, liquefaction, and cavitation and not a classic abscess. This finding has clinical significance, because surgical drainage of liquefied infarcts is rarely indicated and could further damage the relatively preserved cortex.