title: Listeria monocytogenes-associated meningitis and arthritis in an immunocompetent 65-year-old woman: a case report.
abstract: We report an unusual case of concurrent meningitis and infectious monoarthritis due to Listeria monocytogenes in a 65-year-old woman presenting to our department with a transient gastrointestinal tract illness. During hospitalization the patient's neurological status deteriorated, presenting signs of meningeal irritation along with signs of inflammation and oedema of the right knee. Blood cultures and cultures of the cerebrospinal fluid and of the sinovial fluid aspirate showed growth of L. monocytogenes gram positive rods. The patient received a three-week course of intravenous meropenem with significant improvement. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of concurrent listerial meningitis and arthritis in an immunocompetent patient. Despite the rarity of the disease in healthy individuals a high index of suspicion is required for unusual manifestations of listerial infections especially among high risk groups such as the elderly.
authors: Primary Health Care Centre of Kissamos; First Department of Internal Medicine, Saint George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Anyfantakis
authors: Primary Health Care Centre of Kissamos; First Department of Internal Medicine, Saint George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece.
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Volakakis
authors: Primary Health Care Centre of Kissamos; First Department of Internal Medicine, Saint George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece.
authors: Kiriaki
authors: K
authors: Kosmidou
authors: Primary Health Care Centre of Kissamos; First Department of Internal Medicine, Saint George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece.
authors: Georgia
authors: G
authors: Polimili
authors: Primary Health Care Centre of Kissamos; First Department of Internal Medicine, Saint George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece.
authors: Serafim
authors: S
authors: Kastanakis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000150:complications; D008584:Meningitis, Listeria / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D000077731:Meropenem; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D000077731:Meropenem