Quadriplegia complicating Escherichia coli meningitis in a newborn infant: case report and review of 22 cases of spinal cord dysfunction in patients with acute bacterial meningitis.

We report a case of Escherichia coli meningitis complicated by spinal cord dysfunction in a neonate. This very rare complication of bacterial meningitis was probably caused by ischemia of the cord resulting from vasculitis. We review the 22 other reports of patients with this complication and discuss its pathogenesis.