Comamonas testosteroni meningitis in a homeless man.
We report a case of meningitis caused by Comamonas testosteroni in a 54-year-old, alcoholic, homeless man. He, as a pedestrian, was struck by a car and suffered multiple fractures of the facial bones including the left frontal sinus. Over the course of 2-week hospitalization, he was clinically diagnosed with multiple cerebral and cerebellar infarcts resulting in altered mental status. He was pronounced dead 15 days after the injury. At the time of autopsy, diffuse purulent meningitis was found on gross examination. A swab culture of the brain surface was positive for C. Testosteroni, a saprophytic organism commonly found in soil and water. This is the first reported case of fatal meningitis caused by this micro-organism.
Jin
Long
L
Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, USA.
Perper
Joshua A
JA
Cina
Stephen J
SJ
D000059:Accidents; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D020604:Comamonas testosteroni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000473:pathology; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged