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.
Service of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Laredo, Cantabria, Spain.
M C
MC
Porras
V C
VC
Martínez
I M
IM
Ruiz
P M
PM
Encinas
M T
MT
Fernandez
J
J
García
L C
LC
Martín Martín
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