Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by O'Farrell, R.
Right arrow Articles by Cunningham, A. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by O'Farrell, R.
Right arrow Articles by Cunningham, A. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol 84, Issue 4 514-517, Copyright © 2000 by Oxford University Press

ARTICLES

Spinal cord infarction and tetraplegia--rare complications of meningococcal meningitis

R O'Farrell, J Thornton, P Brennan, F Brett and AJ Cunningham
Department of Anaesthesia/Critical Care Medicine, Beaumont Hospital/Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland.

A previously healthy 25-yr-old female developed flaccid areflexic tetraplegia, with intact cranial nerve function, 36 h after the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Polymerase chain reaction studies of cerebrospinal fluid and blood were positive for Neisseria meningitidis, serogroup B. Magnetic resonance of the cervicothoracic spine revealed increased signal intensity and expansion in the lower medulla, upper cervical cord and cerebellar tonsils. Neurosurgical consultation recommended hyperventilation, dexamethasone and regular mannitol therapy rather than decompressive intervention. The clinical course over the following 12 days was complicated by the development of progressive central nervous and multisystem organ failure with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Autopsy revealed cerebral oedema with cystic infarction extending from the medulla to the upper cervical cord and cerebellar tonsils. Flaccid areflexic tetraplegia with spinal cord infarction has not been reported following bacterial infection in an adult. The clinical implications would suggest complete central nervous system evaluation of patients recovering from meningococcal meningitis, since spinal cord lesions, although uncommon, do occur. In those very rare situations where a patient develops significant peripheral neurological deficits, urgent magnetic resonance imaging is warranted, to rule out an infective focus or an underlying anatomical anomaly.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Arch NeurolHome page
D. van de Beek, R. Patel, and E. F. M. Wijdicks
Meningococcal Meningitis With Brainstem Infarction
Arch Neurol, September 1, 2007; 64(9): 1350 - 1351.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.