Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection associated with affection of the central nervous system

Abstract

A total of 371 patients with acute, febrile, non-bacterial affection of the CNS hospitalized between Nov. 1, 1971, and June 1, 1976, were examined for Mycoplasma (M.) pneumoniae infection. Nineteen of the patients showed evidence of a current M. pneumoniae infection, 32 of a previous infection, and 320 no evidence. In patients with a current infection due to M. pneumoniae, suggestive evidence is presented that this agent might be involved in the pathogenesis of the neurological syndromes. Compared to cases without the infection, these cases and, to a lesser degree, those with a previous M. pneumoniae infection showed an increased frequency of pathological values, found by various laboratory and instrumental parameters, and a slightly higher frequency of neurological sequelae. Respiratory illness was present in only 11 of the 19 patients infected with M. pneumoniae, a classical respiratory tract pathogen. The overall incidence of current M. pneumoniae infections among patients with neurological syndromes was 5%, with a maximum of 10% during the 1972 epidemic. This is a much higher figure than expected from a mere coincidence of the two conditions.