• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2014

In November 2012, a 4-month-old foal with anorexia, neurologic signs with ataxia and death was submitted for necropsy to the diagnostic laboratory of Jeju Self-Governing Provincial Veterinary Research Institute. Grossly, yellowish-white fibrinous materials were seen on the ventral cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord of the foal. Histologically, severe fibrino-purulent meningitis characterized by the infiltration of neutrophils and fibrionous exudates with bacterial colonies were presented in cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem and cervical spinal cord. In the bacterial isolation using meningeal exudate, the small white colonies on blood agar plate with ${\beta}$-hemolysis were observed. Isolated bacteria were Gram-positive cocci and confirmed as Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus by VITEK 2 system. Based on the histopathological features and the bacterial test, this case was diagnosed as meningitis associated with S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection in a foal. In our best knowledge, this is the first report for fibrino-purulent meningitis caused by S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection in Jeju.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.283-288
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• 1998

Recurrent meningitis in children is not only a potentially life threatening condition, but often involves the child in the trauma though repeated hospital admissions and multiple invasive investigations to find the underlying causes. Symptoms and signs of CSF rhinorrhea or otorrhea are infrequent in these patients and difficult to diagnose in young children. All young children treated for meningitis should then be administered an evoked potential audiometry as a post-treatment test. If sensorineural hearing loss is identified, the clinician should be alerted to the possibility of CSF leakage as the cause of the meningitis. Radiologic studies should be performed to rule out preexisting congenital, or acquired, abnormalities requiring surgical exploration. Two young children with recurrent meningitis due to a right cochlear aplasia and a cribriform plate defect caused by trauma are presented to illustrate the problems of diagnosis and management. A review of literatures will also be presented briefly.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.10
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• pp.1077-1084
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• 2008

Purpose : Despite the seriousness of bacterial meningitis in children, there is little information on the incidence, causative organisms, mortality rate and age distribution. We studied the frequency by age group and causal pathogens, and clinical characteristics in children with bacterial meningitis in the private sector in Korea. Methods : The medical records containing the data on bacterial meningitis patients under 18 years of age confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings were retrospectively analyzed from September, 1993 to August, 2006 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. Results : Eighty-one cases of bacterial meningitis were observed. Overall the most common organism was Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS) (30 cases, 37.0%) followed by Haemophilus influenzae (22 cases, 27.2%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (12 cases, 14.8%), Escherichia coli (3 cases, 3.7%), Neisseria meningitidis (1 case, 1.2%) and others (13 cases, 16.0%). In neonates and young infants under 2 months, the most common organism was GBS. In children between 3 months, and 5 years, the most common organism was H. influenzae. S. pneumoniae was the most common organism in children over 5 years of age. Thirty-one patients (38.3%) had complications. Of all ages, the mortality rate of bacterial meningitis markedly decreased compared with the previously reported rate. Conclusion : In neonates, GBS meningitis was most common. The frequency of H. influenzae meningitis decreased after the introduction of H. influenzae type b vaccination. A strategy for the prevention of GBS meningitis in neonates should be established. The influence of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on S. pneumoniae meningitis should be studied.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2022

This report describes a case of coinfection of Sphingomonas paucimobilis meningitis and Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia in a 66-year-old immunocompetent female patient. The patient had undergone traditional procedures, including acupuncture, which possibly caused the coinfection. During treatment with susceptible antibiotics for bacterial meningitis, she developed hydrocephalus on the third day. Consequently, the patient recovered with a mild neurological deficit of grade 4 motor assessment in both upper and lower extremities at discharge. S. paucimobilis and L. monocytogenes are rare pathogens in developed countries, occurring only during environmental outbreaks. S. paucimobilis meningitis is rarely reported. Hence, the various presentations of S. paucimobilis meningitis and the antibiotic regimen for its treatment are hereby reported, in addition to a review of other similar reported cases. This case is a possible traditional procedure-related infection. Appropriate oversight and training should be emphasized regarding preventive measures of this kind of infection. A team approach with neurologists and neurosurgeons is imperative in treating patients with hydrocephalus-complicated meningitis.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.519-524
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• 2021

Meningitis after spinal surgery occurs rarely but can be fatal. A 49-year-old male was diagnosed with compressive myelopathy due to cervical disc herniation at the C 5, 6 level and underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). He complained of severe neck pain and stiffness with fever postoperatively and one week after surgery, the patient presented with abrupt tetraplegia. The follow-up magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed bacterial meningitis complicated by myelitis. The patient was treated with antibiotics and steroid, but the outcome was poor. The authors report a case of meningitis combined with myelitis following anterior cervical spinal surgery.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2003

Purpose : We performed a retrospective study on bacterial meningitis in children, pertaining to the causative organisms, bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the effect of recent introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib) vaccine. Methods : We analysed the forty-three cases of bacterial meningitis which had been treated at the Inha University Hospital from June 1996 to June 2003. Results : Nineteen cases(44.2%) of them were infants younger than 2 months of age, and 29 cases(67.5%) younger than 1 year of age. The common causative organisms under 2 months of age were group B streptococcus(GBS)(47.4%), E. coli(21.1%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae(21.1%). In the age group beyond 2 months of age, S. pneumoniae were seen in 50 %, H. influenzae in 16.7% and N. meningitidis in 16.7%. All of the five cases of Hib meningitis had not been vaccinated for Hib. There has been no Hib meningitis cases since 2001. Overall fatality rate was 4.5%, and complication occurred in 39%. Complications was significantly less frequent in patients resumed to be treated within 48 hours after onset compared to after 48 hours after onset. Penicillin resistance of S. pneumoniae and GBS isolated among bacterial meningitis cases was high. Conclusion : Timing of treatment after the onset of the disease appeared the most important factor for prognosis of bacterial meningitis. The cases of H. influenzae meningitis have decreased probably due to Hib vaccination.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2009

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify useful predictors for diagnosing bacterial meningitis and performing CSF studies in febrile infants three months or younger. Methods : Six hundred and fifty two febrile infants with a rectal temperature ${\geq}38.0^{\circ}C$ presented from January 2003 to April 2008 and were retrospectively studied. The total white blood cell count (WBC), band count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood cultures were performed on admission. The clinical variables associated with bacterial meningitis were analyzed. Results : In patients with bacterial meningitis, the clinical variables including CRP (P=0.036), band count (P=0.037), ANC (P=0.036) and age (P=0.001) were significantly different. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.969 for CRP, 0.946 for the band count, 0.765 for the ANC and 0.235 for age. A CRP cutoff point of 8 mg/dL was determined to maximize both the sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity 83%, specificity 95%, likelihood ratio 16.6). A CRP concentration of <7 mg/dL "ruled-out" bacterial meningitis, with a likelihood ratio of 0.17, a posttest probability of <0.1% and negative predictive value 91%. A CRP concentration greater than 9 mg/dL had a much higher likelihood ratio (20.1) than the band count (16.6) and ANC (2.2). Conclusion : The CRP concentration was a useful laboratory test for the differential diagnosis of bacterial meningitis among febrile infants three months of age or younger. A CRP concentration of <7 mg/dL effectively ruled out bacterial meningitis; a value ${\geq}9mg/dL$ increased the clinical suspicion of bacterial meningitis and the need for CSF evaluation.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.159-164
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• 2000

Mollaret meningitis is a rare syndrome first described by Mollaret in 1944, which is reccurent aseptic meningitis with characteristic clinical and spinal fluid cytologic findings. No etiology has been established. Several authors suggested the association with herpes virus infection, some found intracranial epidermoid tumor eventually in patients diagnosed of Mollaret meningitis. We experienced a case of 14-year old male who had 3 episodes of recurrent aseptic meningitis during four years. The patients initially presented with clinical and laboratory feature of bacterial meningitis, however, extensive serological investigation and cerebrospinal fluid analysis failed to reveal a specific cause. Immune system studies were unremarkable. Cranial computed tomography performed during the attack and magnetic resonance imaging when the patient was asymptomatic were both normal. A tentative diagnosis of Mollaret meningitis was established at the 3rd episode. We report this case with a review of related literatures.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.249-251
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• 2013

Pneumocephalus is a condition characterized by the presence of air in the cranium, and it is mainly caused by trauma or a neurosurgical procedure. In the absence of head trauma or a neurosurgical procedure, meningitis is an extremely rare cause of pneumocephalus. Here, the authors present a rare case of spontaneous pneumocephalus caused by pneumococcal meningitis, in which simple lateral radiography and computed tomography (CT) findings of the skull suggested the diagnosis. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed bacterial meningitis which later revealed streptococcus pneumonia. The patient was treated with antibiotics and responded remarkably well. Repeat CT performed after 2 weeks of treatment showed complete resolution of the intracranial gas. Here, the authors report an unusual case of a pneumocephalus caused by meningitis in the absence of head trauma or a neurosurgical procedure.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2021

Eosinophilic meningitis is defined as the presence of more than 10 eosinophils per µl in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or eosinophils accounting for more than 10% of CSF leukocytes in patients with acute meningitis. Parasites are the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide, but there is limited research on patients in Korea. Patients diagnosed with eosinophilic meningitis between January 2004 and June 2018 at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea were retrospectively reviewed. The etiology and clinical characteristics of each patient were identified. Of the 22 patients included in the study, 11 (50%) had parasitic causes, of whom 8 (36%) were diagnosed as neurocysticercosis and 3 (14%) as Toxocara meningitis. Four (18%) patients were diagnosed with fungal meningitis, and underlying immunodeficiency was found in 2 of these patients. The etiology of another 4 (18%) patients was suspected to be tuberculosis, which is endemic in Korea. Viral and bacterial meningitis were relatively rare causes of eosinophilic meningitis, accounting for 2 (9%) and 1 (5%) patients, respectively. One patient with neurocysticercosis and 1 patient with fungal meningitis died, and 5 (23%) had neurologic sequelae. Parasite infections, especially neurocysticercosis and toxocariasis, were the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Korean patients. Fungal meningitis, while relatively rare, is often aggressive and must be considered when searching for the cause of eosinophilic meningitis.