Severe pneumonia caused by Parvimonas micra: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Parvimonas micra (P. micra) is a gram-positive anaerobic coccus that is detected widely on the skin, in the oral mucosa and in the gastrointestinal tract. In certain circumstances, P. micra can cause abdominal abscesses, bacteraemia and other infections. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no case reports describing the biological characteristics of P. micra-related pneumonia. These bacteria do not always multiply in an aerobic organ, such as the lung, and they could be easily overlooked because of the clinical mindset. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to the emergency department 4 weeks prior to her due date who was exhibiting 5 points on the Glasgow coma scale. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a massive haemorrhage in her left basal ganglia. She underwent a caesarean section and brain surgery before being admitted to the ICU. She soon developed severe pneumonia and hypoxemia. Given that multiple sputum cultures were negative, the patient's bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was submitted for next-generation sequencing (NGS) to determine the pathogen responsible for the pneumonia; as a result, P. micra was determined to be the causative pathogen. Accordingly the antibiotic therapy was altered and the pneumonia improved. CONCLUSION: In this case, we demonstrated severe pneumonia caused by the anaerobic organism P. micra, and the patient benefited from receiving the correct antibiotic. NGS was used as a method of quick diagnosis when sputum culture failed to distinguish the pathogen.

Platelet Mass Predicts Intracranial Hemorrhage in Neonates With Gram-negative Sepsis.

Neonatal sepsis due to gram-negative bacteria is associated with severe hemorrhagic conditions, such as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The aim of the study was to investigate the significance of platelet (PLT) count and platelet mass (PM) in predicting promptly neonatal ICH. Demographics, species, PLT, PM, ICH, and outcome for neonates with gram-negative sepsis for the period 2005 to 2012 were retrospectively recorded. Eighty-four infants were enrolled with median gestational age 30 weeks, median birthweight 1481.5 g, and median age at sepsis diagnosis 23 days. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Enterobacter spp. (38.1%). ICH occurred in 16 neonates (19%), whereas the mortality rate was 25% (21 neonates). The median PLT count and PM at days 1, 2, and 3 after diagnosis of gram-negative sepsis was significantly associated with the presence of ICH. Regression analysis revealed the cutoff predictive value of 355 fL/nL for the PM at day 3 (area under the curve: 75, sensitivity 90%, P=0.002). PM levels could play an important role in predicting the occurrence of ICH in high-risk neonates.

Staphylococcal native valve endocarditis with iris abscess and intracranial hemorrhage in an adolescent girl.

Native valve infective endocarditis by Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known entity. Metastatic eye abscess and intracranial hemorrhage are rare manifestations of infective endocarditis. We describe an adolescent girl who presented with staphylococcal native valve endocarditis with metastatic iris abscesses and after valve replacement surgery, succumbed to her illness as a result of an intracranial hemorrhage.

Mucormycosis-associated intracranial hemorrhage.

Rhinoorbitocerebral mucormycosis is a devastating infection being increasingly recognized in immunocompromised hosts and carries poor prognosis. Early recognition and treatment are critical in order to improve clinical outcomes and decrease the development of complications. Fatal cerebral infarctions have been described in patients with rhinoorbitocerebral mucormycosis, likely due to the thrombotic occlusion of the affected blood vessels directly invaded by this aggressive mycotic infection. We report a patient that presented with aplastic anemia, subsequently complicated by systemic mucormycosis, which generated reactive plasmacytosis, and developed intracranial infarction and hemorrhage.

A case of embolic stroke imitating atherothrombotic brain infarction before massive hemorrhage from an infectious aneurysm caused by Streptococci.

Early detection followed by treatment with antibiotics in conjunction with direct or endovascular surgery is integral in the management of patients with intracranial infectious aneurysms. These aneurysms often manifest as massive intracranial hemorrhages, which severely deteriorate the outcome. It is very important to detect infectious aneurysms before they rupture. Although usually associated with infective endocarditis, these aneurysms can occur in a variety of clinical settings. We present a case of α-Streptococcus-provoked infectious aneurysm in a patient without infective endocarditis, initially presenting as atherothrombotic-like brain infarction, before massive intracranial hemorrhage. The present case alerts clinicians to keep in mind possible development of infectious aneurysms, even in patients who appear to be suffering from atherothrombotic stoke, especially in patients presenting with signs of infection.

Metastatic methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a common and increasingly recognized hospital- and community-acquired infection. To minimize morbidity and mortality, it is essential to determine which patients are at high risk for metastatic SAB. The risk-scoring system described by Fowler et al and the APACHE II scoring system can be helpful in identifying the clinical predictors of metastatic SAB. Herein we describe a case of metastatic methicillin-sensitive SAB in a previously healthy 19-year-old woman that was complicated by a disseminated pneumonia, an ischemic toe, and an acute intracranial hemorrhage. We also discuss the clinical factors associated with increased risk for complications from SAB and the currently available treatment options.

[Early recurrence of neuroborreliosis with a fatal outcome].

The authors describe a case of Lyme disease--neuroborreliosis. In neuroborreliosis, there are morphohistological changes: pronounced dystrophic processes in the brain nerve cells, spongiosis, perivascular hemorrhagic infiltrations, glial proliferation with the formation of perivascular glial granulomas.