Serratia marcescens meningitis in the adult. A case report

A case of Serratia marcescens meningitis in a 49-year-old cirrhotic woman is reported. She was admitted for fever and spinal pain. She had an epileptic seizure during the acute phase. No brain abscess was detected through cerebral computed tomography. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed 5,500 white cells per mi (90 % polymorphonuclear cells) and culture yielded Cram-negative bacilli as S. marcescens. This organism was not cultured from blood. Initial intravenous therapy combined amikacin, TMP-SMX, and ceftriaxone for 5 days. Ceftriaxone alone was given during the following 3 weeks. The CSF became sterile in less than a week and the patient's condition improved. S. marcescens meningitis are generally reported following neurosurgery, in neonatal intensive care units, and in immune-compromised patients.