title: Diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of Mycoplasma hominis meningitis in adults.
abstract: Meningitis in adults due to infection with Mycoplasma hominis is rarely reported. Here, we document the third case of M. hominis meningitis in an adult individual, developed upon neurosurgery following a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Our findings are noteworthy, because the presence of M. hominis in cerebrospinal fluid cannot be identified by standard culturing, Gram-staining, or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Importantly, however, 16S rDNA sequencing did lead to an unambiguous diagnosis and guided successful antimicrobial therapy. Based on our present findings and a review of the respective literature, we conclude that M. hominis should be considered as a candidate causative agent of infections of the central nervous system following neurosurgical procedures, especially if there is no response to standard antimicrobial therapy, and routine culturing yields negative results.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. h.l.lee@online.nl
authors.forename: Elisabeth H L
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Heinrich L J
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Jan Maarten
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Dijl
authors.forename: Joannes D M
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Metzemaekers
authors.forename: Jan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Arends
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S