Diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of Mycoplasma hominis meningitis in adults

Int J Med Microbiol. 2012 Dec;302(7-8):289-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2012.09.003. Epub 2012 Oct 22.

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.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bacteriological Techniques / methods
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid / microbiology
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / diagnosis*
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / drug therapy*
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycoplasma Infections / diagnosis*
  • Mycoplasma Infections / drug therapy*
  • Mycoplasma Infections / microbiology
  • Mycoplasma hominis / isolation & purification*
  • Neurosurgical Procedures / adverse effects
  • Postoperative Complications
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S