Eubacterial approach to the diagnosis of bacterial infection.

Computed tomography revealed a frontal empyema in an 8 month old boy who presented with a prolonged convulsion. Before admission he had received oral antibiotics and all specimens were negative on culture. The presence of bacteria in cerebrospinal and empyema fluid was demonstrated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 16S rRNA gene primers. A presumptive identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae was made by comparison of PCR products with those derived from known bacteria using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.