Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Nov;2(6):1-7.
doi: 10.1177/1756285609337975.

Pathophysiology and treatment of bacterial meningitis

Olaf Hoffman  1 , R Joerg Weber
Affiliations

Pathophysiology and treatment of bacterial meningitis

Olaf Hoffman et al. Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency requiring immediate diagnosis and immediate treatment. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the most common and most aggressive pathogens of meningitis. Emerging antibiotic resistance is an upcoming challenge. Clinical and experimental studies have established a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms resulting in brain damage, sequelae and neuropsychological deficits. We summarize the current pathophysiological concept of acute bacterial meningitis and present current treatment strategies.

Keywords: bacterial meningitis; dexamethasone; meningococci; meningoencephalitis; pneumococci.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Two major routes involving bacterial toxins and cytotoxic products of the inflammatory response lead to intracranial complications and brain damage. Peptidoglycan (PG), bacterial lipopeptide (LP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), intracranial pressure (ICP).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Diagnostic Gram stain of CSF from a patient with pneumococcal meningitis. Neutrophils (stained red) are surrounded by Gram-positive dipolcocci (stained blue).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aliprantis A.O., Yang R.B., Mark M.R., Suggett S., Devaux B., Radolf J.D.et al. (1999) Cell activation and apoptosis by bacterial lipoproteins through tolllike receptor-2. Science 285:736–739 - PubMed
    1. Angstwurm K., Borges A.C., Halle E., Schielke E., Weber J.R. (2004) Neurological complications of infective endocarditis. Nervenarzt 75:734–741 - PubMed
    1. Angstwurm K., Reuss S., Freyer D., Arnold G., Dirnagl U., Schumann R.R.et al. (2000) Induced hypothermia in experimental pneumococcal meningitis. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 20:834–838 - PubMed
    1. Berg S., Trollfors B., Claesson B.A., Alestig K., Gothefors L., Hugosson S.et al. (1996) Incidence and prognosis of meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis in Sweden. Scand J Infect Dis 28:247–252 - PubMed
    1. Bermpohl D., Halle A., Freyer D., Dagand E., Braun J.S., Bechmann I.et al. (2005) Bacterial programmed cell death of cerebral endothelial cells involves dual death pathways. J Clin Invest 115:1607–1615 - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources