Meningitis in a newborn infant caused by Mycoplasma hominis

When 10 days old an infant born after 34-35 weeks of gestation developed meningitis with pleocytosis and a low glucose concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid. Mycoplasma hominis was recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid and treatment with doxycycline was given. The strain was later found to be resistant to tetracycline. After institution of lincomycin, cultures for mycoplasmas were negative. The infant, who during the course of the meningitis had developed a transient increase in intracranial pressure, was healthy and normally developed at the age of one year.--This is the first report on an infection caused by a tetracycline-resistant strain of Mycoplasma hominis.