Central nervous system infection by Listeria monocytogenes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: analysis of 26 cases, including the report of a new case.

Reumatol Clin

Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital General Regional 220, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Toluca de Lerdo, Estado de México, México. Electronic address:

Published: April 2015

Introduction: Infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus cause significant morbidity. Infection due to Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is considered an opportunistic disease, and has been published on rare occasions in patients with SLE.

Objective: To review the presentation of listeria infections in the central nervous system (CNS) in SLE patients.

Methodology: We conducted a literature review, selecting cases with central nervous system infection and confirmation of LM infection through culture.

Results: Twenty six cases are described. The most common presentation was meningitis, with meningoencephalitis and brain abscesses being less frequent. The predisposing factors are: use of glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, renal replacement therapy and the activity flares.

Conclusion: CNS infection by listeria is rare and sometimes fatal. The atypical presentation may lead to a delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. L. monocytogenes should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with SLE with neurological manifestations.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.reuma.2013.04.011DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

central nervous
12
nervous system
12
infection listeria
12
system infection
8
listeria monocytogenes
8
patients systemic
8
systemic lupus
8
lupus erythematosus
8
infection
5
listeria
4

Similar Publications

The histologic differential diagnosis between intracranial hemangioblastoma (HB) and metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma may be challenging, especially considering that both tumors exhibit clear cell morphology and can be associated with vHL mutation and/or Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. As the execution of immunohistochemical analyses is often mandatory, the expression of PAX8 has been traditionally considered a reliable marker of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma, being consistently negative in intracranial HB. However, as in recent years, some cases of PAX8-positive HBs have been reported in the literature; we studied the expression of this antibody on a series of 23 intracranial HB, showing that about 40% of these tumors may express PAX8 and that this immunoreactivity is often focal and weak.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dematiaceous molds often cause noninvasive disease but have the potential to cause disseminated infection, particularly in immunosuppressed hosts. is the most neurotropic of dematiaceous molds and is associated with brain abscesses, but disseminated infection is quite rare. Here we present a case of disseminated in a 67-year-old renal transplant recipient with multifocal soft tissue, bone and presumed central nervous system involvement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Whipple's disease, caused by the gram-positive actinomycete , is a rare chronic systemic illness with significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly when the CNS is involved. This case report details a 46-year-old man presenting with a constellation of symptoms including fatigue, hypersomnia, weight loss, bifrontal headaches, abdominal pain, treatment-unresponsive diarrhea, and skin hyperpigmentation. Neurological examination revealed oculomasticatory myorhythmia, and imaging studies showed nodular enhancement of the hypothalamus and basal ganglia, along with retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common disabling central nervous system diseases affecting young adults. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool for diagnosing and following up multiple sclerosis. Over the years, many MRI techniques have been developed to improve the sensitivity of MS disease detection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a major challenge in developing effective treatments due to its complex pathophysiology, including the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology offers promise for targeted gene silencing, but effective delivery to the central nervous system remains a significant obstacle. Viral vectors have emerged as potent delivery vehicles for transporting siRNA to neural tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!