title: Fatal encephalitis caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a 9-year-old girl.
abstract: A case of fatal encephalitis in a 9-year-old girl is described. Serology showed high titre antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In addition M. pneumoniae was detected in cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction. Direct invasion of the central nervous system as opposed to a secondary immunologic reaction to a M. pneumoniae infection of the respiratory tract in the pathogenesis of encephalitis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Vrye Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tjhie
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van de Putte
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haasnoot
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van den Brule
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vandenbroucke-Grauls
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009180:Mycoplasmatales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial