DOI: 10.12890/2021_002349
Streptococcus oralis Meningitis
Authors
joaocruzcardoso92@gmail.com
Keywords
Streptococcus oralis, meningitis, oral hygieneAbstract
Streptococcus oralis is part of the normal flora of the oropharyngeal, nasal, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Classically, it shows low pathogenicity and virulence, but can very rarely cause meningitis in patients who have undergone dental procedures and have poor oral hygiene.
The purpose of this report is to highlight the importance of considering S. oralis as a cause of meningitis in patients with poor oral hygiene.
A 53-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with high fever (39.4°C), headache and drowsiness. His mouth was unhygienic. He was diagnosed with meningitis and empiric antibiotics (ceftriaxone plus ampicillin) and dexamethasone were started. S. oralis was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid. Ampicillin and dexamethasone were stopped, while ceftriaxone was continued with full recovery of the patient.
References
- Patel K, Memon Z, Prince A, Park C, Sajan A, Ilyas N. Streptococcus oralismeningitis from right sphenoid meningoencephalocele and cerebrospinal fluid leak. BMC Infect Dis 2019;19(1):960.
- Nakamura Y, Uemura T, Kawata Y, Hirose B, Yamauchi R, Shimohama S. Streptococcus oralis meningitis with gingival bleeding in a patient: a case report and review of the literature. Intern Med 2021;60(5):789–793.
- Montejo M, Aguirrebengoe K. Streptococcus oralis meningitis after dental manipulation. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1998;85(2):126–127.
- Chang WN, Wu JJ, Huang CR, Tsai YC, Chien CC, Lu CH. Identification of viridans streptococcal species causing bacterial meningitis in adults in Taiwan. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2002;21(5):393–396.
- Eykyn SJ. Infective endocarditis: some popular tenets debunked? Heart 1997;77(3):191–193.