Spinal cord dysfunction complicating bacterial meningitis
A. R. Seay
Cervical transverse myelopathy developed in an 8-month-old girl during the
early stages of Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis. Spinal cord dysfunction
is an uncommon complication of bacterial meningitis and has not been
previously described in patients younger than 1 year old. A literature
review of patients 2 years old or older with similar complications showed
that young children have cervical cord lesions, whereas the majority of
adolescents and adults have thoracic or lumbar lesions. In four of five
previously reported cases of patients between 2 and 3 years old, a
cardiorespiratory arrest probably played a critical role in the
pathogenesis of cord dysfunction. The patient described herein, however,
did not experience any cardiorespiratory insufficiency, and cord
dysfunction was probably the direct result of local vascular changes and
cord ischemia. On follow-up assessment, all patients had persistent
neurologic deficits, regardless of age.
