title: Meningitis due to beta-hemolytic non-A, non-D streptococci among adults at a cancer hospital: report of four cases and review.
abstract: Four cases of meningitis due to beta-hemolytic non-A, non-D streptococci among adult patients with neoplastic disease are reported. All four patients had head or neck tumors for greater than or equal to 4 years, and all had undergone surgery for these tumors. Three of four patients had received local radiation therapy. None of the patients were neutropenic. One patient died. A review of the literature revealed that most patients with non-A, non-D streptococcal meningitis had disruption of the normal barrier protecting the CNS due to trauma, surgery, or the presence of a tumor, or had extensive exposure to animals or an underlying medical disease. Infection with non-A, non-D streptococci should be considered in any patient with meningitis who has a tumor of the head or neck and who has undergone surgery and/or radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sepkowitz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasemsri
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Kiehn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*