title: Mollaret meningitis associated with an intraspinal epidermoid cyst.
abstract: Mollaret meningitis, a benign recurrent aseptic disease, is known to be associated with intracranial epidermoid cysts. In this report, we describe a case of Mollaret meningitis caused by an intraspinal epidermoid cyst located at thoracic level 12. The patient's clinical manifestations and cerebrospinal fluid features were similar to those with bacterial meningitis characterized by predominant polymorphonuclear leukocytes. However, Mollaret cells, not bacteria, were identified in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. The illness ceased after surgical resection of the cyst, and the cyst tissue was pathologically diagnosed as epidermoid. Therefore, an intraspinal epidermoid cyst can be etiologically associated with Mollaret meningitis and should be included in the differential diagnosis of recurrent aseptic meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, People's Republic of China. gaobaoqin@sohu.com
authors.forename: Baoqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shougang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Yaxian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yazhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000150:complications*; D012008:Recurrence; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery