Are mothers always right? When acute meningitis is something more

BMJ Case Rep. 2015 Oct 13:2015:bcr2015211658. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2015-211658.

Abstract

A 22-month-old girl with a history of a congenital occipital cutaneous cyst was brought to the paediatric emergency department for lethargy and occipital headache. She had been discharged 5 days before for acute meningitis without bacterial isolates. At physical observation, she presented with irritability and neck hyperextension, with negative meningeal signs. CT scan revealed a vermian cyst and hydrocephalus. She was submitted to neurosurgery with removal of an infected midline dermoid cyst with a fistulous track to the skin. Surgery was successful and without complications. During follow-up, the child was asymptomatic with normal psychomotor development.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Brain Neoplasms / surgery
  • Cysts / congenital
  • Dermoid Cyst / complications
  • Dermoid Cyst / diagnosis*
  • Dermoid Cyst / surgery
  • Female
  • Fistula
  • Head
  • Headache / diagnosis
  • Headache / etiology
  • Humans
  • Hydrocephalus / diagnosis
  • Hydrocephalus / etiology
  • Hydrocephalus / surgery
  • Infant
  • Infections / complications
  • Lethargy / diagnosis
  • Lethargy / etiology
  • Meningitis / diagnosis*
  • Meningitis / etiology
  • Mothers
  • Neural Tube
  • Neurosurgical Procedures
  • Skin Neoplasms* / congenital
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed