Treatment of cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections with teicoplanin.

Intraventricular teicoplanin 10-15 mg was administered daily to three patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt infections due to Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis. Teicoplanin concentrations in CSF 24 h after intrathecal injection of the drug exceeded four- to eight-fold the MICs for the infecting microorganisms. CSF cultures rapidly became negative and shunt devices were withdrawn and replaced in the same operative procedure. Intraventricular teicoplanin was well tolerated. No relapses occurred. Teicoplanin may be an alternative to vancomycin for the antimicrobial therapy of CSF shunt infections.