L M Sommers1, D S Hawkins. 1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although the clinical features of bacterial meningitis in adult cancer patients and in healthy children have been described, no previous large series has described the clinical features of meningitis in pediatric cancer patients. We performed a retrospective review of bacterial or fungal meningitis in pediatric cancer patients to determine its clinical presentation, microbiology and outcome. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records of all patients younger than 18 years old with a diagnoses of any malignancy and bacterial or fungal meningitis at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, WA, from January, 1981, to June, 1998. RESULTS: During the study period there were 40 cases of bacterial or fungal meningitis in 36 pediatric cancer patients. Most patients (65%) had recent neurosurgery, a central nervous system device or cerebrospinal fluid leak. Neutropenia was present in 30% of patients. Fever and altered mental status were the most consistent signs at presentation. In addition at least one additional symptom or sign of meningitis (headache, neck pain or rigidity, seizures or photophobia) was present in 77% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most common microbiologic isolates. The five patients with fatal outcome were neutropenic. Neutropenia and seizures within 2 days of presentation were associated with long neurologic sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Meningitis in pediatric cancer patients was associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric cancer patients with meningitis had clinical features and microbiology distinctly different from those of adult cancer patients and normal children with meningitis.
BACKGROUND: Although the clinical features of bacterial meningitis in adult cancerpatients and in healthy children have been described, no previous large series has described the clinical features of meningitis in pediatric cancerpatients. We performed a retrospective review of bacterial or fungal meningitis in pediatric cancerpatients to determine its clinical presentation, microbiology and outcome. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records of all patients younger than 18 years old with a diagnoses of any malignancy and bacterial or fungal meningitis at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, WA, from January, 1981, to June, 1998. RESULTS: During the study period there were 40 cases of bacterial or fungal meningitis in 36 pediatric cancerpatients. Most patients (65%) had recent neurosurgery, a central nervous system device or cerebrospinal fluid leak. Neutropenia was present in 30% of patients. Fever and altered mental status were the most consistent signs at presentation. In addition at least one additional symptom or sign of meningitis (headache, neck pain or rigidity, seizures or photophobia) was present in 77% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most common microbiologic isolates. The five patients with fatal outcome were neutropenic. Neutropenia and seizures within 2 days of presentation were associated with long neurologic sequelae. CONCLUSIONS:Meningitis in pediatric cancerpatients was associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric cancerpatients with meningitis had clinical features and microbiology distinctly different from those of adult cancerpatients and normal children with meningitis.
Authors: M Schmidt-Hieber; G Silling; E Schalk; W Heinz; J Panse; O Penack; M Christopeit; D Buchheidt; U Meyding-Lamadé; S Hähnel; H H Wolf; M Ruhnke; S Schwartz; G Maschmeyer Journal: Ann Oncol Date: 2016-04-06 Impact factor: 32.976