title: Spinal cord infarction in meningitis: polygenic risk factors.
abstract: We report a male with spinal cord infarction and tetraplegia after Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis. He was subsequently found to have both a Chiari I malformation and factor V Leiden mutation. A literature search was conducted to identify previously reported cases of pediatric spinal cord infarction associated with acute bacterial meningitis, anatomic brain anomalies, and hypercoagulability disorders. This article is the first report of spinal cord infarction in a child with hypercoagulability disorder and structural brain anomaly in the setting of acute bacterial meningitis. The confluence of infection, inflammation, localized pressure, and predisposition to hypercoagulability produced unique conditions resulting in infarction of the cervical spine. This report emphasizes the polygenic nature of the expression of spinal cord infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center, 977 48th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Almasanu
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Owensby
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Pavlakis
authors.forename: Jon H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V