Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Enterococcal meningitis due to strongyloidiasis with HTLV-1 carrier

Akira Sugiura, M.D.1), Masaya Fujimoto, M.D.1) and Yasuhiko Saida, M.D.2)

Department of 1)Neurology, 2)Gastroenterology, Iwata City General Hospital

A 40-year-old Japanese Brazilian admitted to our hospital because of headache and fever. He came to Japan 16 years ago and underwent treatment of strongyloidiasis 3 years ago. He showed neck stiffness. CRP was highly elevated, and anti-HTLV-1 antibody was positive. Examination of CSF demonstrated pleocytosis, and neutrophils were dominant. Culture of CSF yielded Enterococcus faecalis, and we diagnosed his condition as enterococcal meningitis. Enterococcal meningitis was cured by administration of ampicillin and ceftriaxone. Enhanced abdominal CT scan was performed in order to detect the infectious focus which induced enterococcal meningitis. It showed wall thickening, wall enhancement and fluid collection in duodenum and upper jejunum. Strongyloides stercoralis was detected in stool and duodenal juice and mucosa. It turned out that strongyloidiasis had persisted. Strongyloidiasis was cured by administration of ivermectin. We supposed that enteric enterococcus invaded the blood by dissemination of Strongyloides stercoralis, and meningitis was induced by hematogenous infection.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 46: 715|717, 2006)
key words: bacterial meningitis, enterococcus faecalis, strongyloidiasis, HTLV-1

(Received: 9-Mar-06)