[Extra-meningeal meningococcal infection: report of 14 cases]

Abstract

Introduction and method: Fifty-five patients (17 adults, 38 children) with meningococcal infection were admitted between 1986 and 2002 in a university hospital (500 beds). Fourteen of them (nine adults, five children) presented with an extra-meningeal infection. We compared adults and children presentations.

Results: All adults had immunodeficiency. Septic locations were various (three bacteriemia, four pneumoniae, one infected ascitis, one cutaneous abscess). All patients received amoxicillin or third generation cephalosporin. Hospitalisation was prolonged (mean: 47 days). Seven patients required intensive care unit admission, and two of them died. All children (all were less than 36-month-old) presented with fever. Only one was immunodeficient (infected by human immunodeficiency virus). Neisseria meningitidis grew from blood in four, and in the throat for the remaining one. Hospitalisation was of short duration (mean: 4 days) and none of the children required intensive care unit. All the children recovered rapidly with antibiotics.

Conclusion: Outcome of extra-meningeal infection with N. meningitidis is different in adults and children. Adults present with immunodeficiency, infection is severe and patients present with various clinical features; children have a more homogeneous clinical presentation (fever) and outcome is excellent.