ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Mycobacterium abscessus, and rapidly growing mycobacteria in general, are rare but increasing causes of central nervous system (CNS) infections. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of considering these microorganism in the differential diagnosis of CNS infections, obtaining a prompt diagnosis, and improving clinical outcomes. METHODS: Case report and literature review. RESULTS: We report a case of meningeal infection in a patient who underwent decompressive craniectomy after a craniofacial trauma. The diagnosis was made analyzing a sample obtained during a second operation of cranioplasty. A regimen of amikacin, clarithromycin, and imipenem/cilastatin was started. In the following days, the patient experienced a variety of side effects. So, first clarithromycin was replaced with linezolid, then amikacin was stopped and cefoxitin added to the therapy and at the end all the antibiotics were withdrawn. The patient was discharged in good conditions and a clinical interdisciplinary follow-up was started. After 12 months, the patient is still doing well. After a literature analysis, 15 cases of M. abscessus CNS infections were identified. Various modes of acquisition, underlying disease and therapeutic schemes were evident. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the results of the literature analysis and the increasing incidence of M. abscessus, all specialists involved in the management of CNS infection should be aware of the importance of atypical microorganisms in differential diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Incidental Findings , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/diagnosis , Mycobacterium abscessus , Tuberculosis, Meningeal/diagnosis , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Chaperonin 60/genetics , Glasgow Coma Scale , Hematoma, Subdural, Acute/complications , Hematoma, Subdural, Acute/diagnosis , Humans , Intraoperative Period , Male , Middle Aged , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/complications , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/microbiology , Mycobacterium abscessus/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Tuberculosis, Meningeal/complications , Tuberculosis, Meningeal/microbiologyABSTRACT
For the last 100 years, diagnosis of malaria has been based on examination of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films under the microscope. This is a time-consuming procedure which often fails to correctly diagnose the infecting species--especially when carried out by inexperienced technicians or when blood levels of parasite are low. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for antigen detection can distinguish between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax but cannot identify the species present in mixed infections. In the case reported here we used multiplex PCR to investigate suspected mixed infection in a pregnant woman from Nigeria. The results suggest that the method used is highly specific and can be very sensitive and that it has several advantages with respect to microscopy and RTDs.
