Acute cellulitis: an unusual manifestation of meningococcal disease.
We describe 2 patients who both developed cellulitis due to Neisseria meningitidis and review 8 other cases reported since 1966. Female patients outnumbered male patients by 8 to 2, and there were 5 children and 5 adults. Four cases were caused by the serogroup C meningococcus, 2 cases by serogroup B and 2 others by serogroup Y (the nature of the meningococcal group was not available in 2 cases). Diverse medical underlying conditions were present in 4 of the adult patients. The periorbital region (in all 5 children), limb (in 3 adults), neck (in 1 adult) and face and neck (in 1 adult) were the locations of the meningococcal cellulitis. In all 10 patients, a favorable clinical response to the antibiotic therapy was documented and no relapses occurred. These cases indicate that N. meningitidis should be considered as a causative agent of cellulitis in the appropriate clinical setting, particularly in children with signs of periorbital infection or adults with underlying diseases.
Porras
M C
MC
Service of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Laredo, Cantabria, Spain.
Martínez
V C
VC
Ruiz
I M
IM
Encinas
P M
PM
Fernandez
M T
MT
García
J
J
Martín Martín
L C
LC
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged