[Meningoencephalitis due to Rickettsia conorii. Etiopathological, clinical and diagnostic aspects].
Boutonneuse fever (BF) is usually considered to be a benign rickettsiosis. However, severe presentations, resembling Rocky Mountain spotted fever, have been reported. There are few neurological complications, except in serious forms of the disease. We present a case of meningoencephalitis in a male adult suffering from BF, and we review the clinical, etiopathogenic and diagnostic aspects among the cases previously reported. We conclude that BF encephalitis would have the following characteristics: a) they mostly affect elderly males; b) they cause altered consciousness level, headaches and low rate of meningeal signs; c) absence of "tâche noir"; d) cerebrospinal fluid with slight pleocytosis and/or increased level of proteins, and normal glucose values; e) computerized tomography without significative changes, and f) high rate of morbidity and mortality. We emphasize that we should consider BF in the differential diagnosis of our environmental encephalitis.
Marcos Dolado
A
A
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid.
Sánchez Portocarrero
J
J
Jiménez Madridejo
R
R
Pontes Navarro
J C
JC
García Urra
D
D
D000368:Aged; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000209:etiology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000150:complications*
Meningoencefalitis por Rickettsia conorii. Aspectos etiopatogénicos, clínicos y diagnósticos.