[Stomatococcus mucilaginosus meningitis in immunocompromised child].

BACKGROUND

Opportunistic infections are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with malignancy developing granulocytopenia as a result of therapy. A case of Stomatococcus mucilaginosus meningitis is reported.

METHODS

A 2 year-old boy was admitted because he had developed fever and neutropenia during chemotherapy given for neuroectodermal tumor. He was previously treated for a Stomatococcus mucilaginosus septicemia with vancomycin given for 15 days through an intravenous catheter which has subsequently been left in place. At admission, fever was associated with severe degree of aplasia (70 WBC/mm3). The patient was given IV ceftazidime plus amikacin. Two days later, the boy developed acute meningitis due to Stomatococcus mucilaginosus; he was then given IV vancomycin (40 mg/kg/d) and imipenem (100 mg/kg/d). Persistence of abnormal clinical and bacteriological findings required subsequent intrathecal administration of vancomycin (1.5 mg/d) for 5 days. CSF cultures were negative 2 days later, leading to stop IV antibiotics after 3 weeks. The catheter was removed 1 week later.

CONCLUSIONS

This patient represents the third reported case of Stomatococcus mucilaginosus meningitis. Combined intrathecal and systemic administration of vancomycin seems to have been useful in our case.