HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jmm.0.011130-0v1 58/9/1247    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Naesens, R. Articles by Jeurissen, A. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Naesens, R. Articles by Jeurissen, A. Agricola Articles by Naesens, R. Articles by Jeurissen, A.

Central nervous system invasion by community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

¹ Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, GZA Hospitals, Antwerp, Belgium

² Intensive Care Unit, GZA Hospitals, Antwerp, Belgium

³ Laboratoire de Référence MRSA–Staphylocoques, Department of Microbiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

⁴ Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

Correspondence
Reinout Naesens
reinoutnaesens{at}hotmail.com

Received March 17, 2009
Accepted May 13, 2009

We report a case of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) bacteraemia with cavernous sinus thrombosis, meningitis and brain abscess in a previously healthy American, who was employed in Belgium. We consecutively reviewed all published cases of CA-MRSA with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. A total of 12 similar cases were found, of which 11 were published in the last 4 years. Predominantly, young previously healthy subjects were affected (median age 28 years). The cases involved brain abscesses (5/12), disseminated disease (4/12), cavernous sinus thrombosis (2/12) and other (1/12). Infection origins were superficial skin infections (5/12), mostly of the face, sinusitis (1/12), otitis media (1/12), other or unknown (5/12). Although, in our review of the literature patients treated with linezolid had a better outcome compared to patients treated with vancomycin, the latter is still the mainstay of therapy for CNS infections associated with MRSA.