How a bowel tumour led to meningitis

BMJ Case Rep. 2011 Jun 21:2011:bcr0220113830. doi: 10.1136/bcr.02.2011.3830.

Abstract

This report summarises a case history in which a 75-year-old man was admitted with bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus bovis. A subsequent abdominal investigation in the light of the known association between invasive S bovis infection and colonic cancer confirmed the suspicion of a cancer located to the rectum. The patient died from Clostridium difficile enterocolitis with sepsis and multi-organ failure. This is a highly relevant and interesting case presentation, which besides providing a learning point that patients with S bovis infection should undergo investigation for abdominal cancer, describes a 'best practice' pattern in which clinicians followed up on a known association between a rare clinical presentation and underlying disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Rectal Neoplasms / complications*
  • Streptococcal Infections / etiology*
  • Streptococcus bovis*