An unusual case of meningitis

Infez Med. 2011 Mar;19(1):45-8.

Abstract

We report on a patient who presented at our hospital with fever, headache, neck pain, partial nuchal rigidity and decreased vision of the left eye. The clinical history, biochemical and instrumental exams performed suggested meningitis but the final hypothesis achieved was an unusual case of Neuro-Behcet-Disease (NBD) without orogenital ulcerations at presentation and with normal MRI findings, whose course was complicated by fatal cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and intracranial haemorrhage. The post-mortem results confirmed the diagnosis. This is a rare case confirmed by anatomo-pathological findings where NBD can present itself as an acute meningeal syndrome that mimics central nervous system infections, making diagnosis difficult and delaying treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Behcet Syndrome / complications*
  • Behcet Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Behcet Syndrome / immunology
  • Brain / blood supply
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Edema / etiology
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / etiology*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • HLA-B Antigens / analysis
  • HLA-B51 Antigen
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Meningitis, Aseptic / etiology*
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / diagnosis
  • Organ Specificity
  • Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / etiology
  • Thrombophilia / etiology
  • Vasculitis / etiology

Substances

  • HLA-B Antigens
  • HLA-B51 Antigen