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Listeria monocytogenes Infection of the Brain
05:02

Listeria monocytogenes Infection of the Brain

Published on: October 2, 2018

Sepsis and meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes

Orhan Yildiz1, Bilgehan Aygen, Duygu Esel

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey. oyildiz@erciyes.edu.tr

Yonsei Medical Journal
|June 28, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Immunosuppression significantly increases the risk of severe listeriosis, particularly sepsis and meningitis. This condition, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, has a high fatality rate in immunocompromised adults.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Listeriosis, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is an infection that can lead to severe complications.
  • Immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk for invasive listeriosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical presentation of severe listeriosis in immunocompromised patients.
  • To identify risk factors and outcomes associated with listeriosis in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of nine adult cases of listeriosis between 1991 and 2002.
  • Analysis of clinical data, including underlying conditions, therapies, symptoms, and outcomes.
  • Isolation of L. monocytogenes from blood, peritoneal fluid, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Main Results:

  • Listeriosis presented as sepsis (5 cases) or meningitis (4 cases).
  • All patients had underlying conditions (e.g., hematologic malignancy, diabetes); 55.6% received immunosuppressive therapy.
  • Mean age was 60 years; common symptoms included fever and lethargy. Mortality rate was 33.3%, higher in meningitis (50%) than sepsis (20%).

Conclusions:

  • Immunosuppressive therapy is a significant predisposing factor for listeriosis.
  • Sepsis and meningitis are common presentations in immunocompromised patients with listeriosis.
  • Listeriosis in this group has a high case-fatality rate, especially for food-borne illnesses.
Abstract

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