title: The usefulness of skin culture in the diagnosis of chronic meningococcaemia.
abstract: We deal with the second reported case of chronic meningococcaemia in which the culture of skin biopsy led to the diagnosis. A 46-year-old man presented a history of recurrent fever and rash. Laboratory studies revealed an inflammatory syndrome. Serologic tests as well as blood culture tests were negative. The histological examination of skin lesions revealed a perivascular infiltrate in the dermis without any picture of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. A culture of skin specimen tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis). After a week of antibiotic treatment, the patient recovered with no recurrence of either fever or rash over a two year period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, Hôpital la Milètrie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Texereau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roblot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dumars
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grignon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Becq-Giraudon
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*