title: [Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis: implications beyond the conjunctiva].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neisseria meningitidis is a uncommon cause of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. However, its diagnosis has important therapeutic implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  From December 1993 to January 1984, a prospective study on acute bacterial conjunctivitis was performed at the Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron. Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis (PMC) was diagnosed in 34 patients. The diagnosis of PMC was made on the basis of consistent clinical manifestations together with isolation of Neisseria meningitidis from conjunctival exudate culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 16 men and 18 women with a mean age of 3.5 +/- 3.3 years. PMC was bilateral in 7 patients and unilateral in 27. Initial therapy for PMC included only topical antibiotics in 24 patients and systemic antibiotic therapy in 10. Ten patients (29.4%) developed invasive meningococcal disease. None of the patients died neither developed ocular sequelae. Forty one percent of the patients who received only topical therapy and none [corrected] of those who received systemic therapy, developed invasive meningococcal disease (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMC may represent the portal of entry for invasive meningococcal disease, which occurs in almost a third of patients. Patients with PMC and higher risk of developing invasive meningococcal disease are those treated only with topical antibiotic therapy.
authors: Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma, Barcelona.
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Moraga Llop
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Barquet Esteve
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Domingo Pedrol
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gallart Catalá
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003234:Conjunctivitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
vernacular_title: Conjuntivitis meningocócica primaria: implicaciones más allá de la conjuntiva.