Meningitis in pediatric cancer patients: a review of forty cases from a single institution

Background. Although the clinical features of bacterial meningitis in adult cancer patients and in healthy children have been described, no previous l arge series has described the clinical features of meningitis in pediatric cancer patients. We performed a retrospective review of bacterial or fungal meningitis in pediatric cancer patients to determine its clinical presenta tion, microbiology and outcome. Method. We reviewed the medical records of all patients younger than 18 yea rs old with a diagnoses of any malignancy and bacterial or fungal meningiti s at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, WA, hom Ja nuary, 1981, to June, 1998, Results. During the study period there were 40 cases of bacterial or fungal meningitis in 36 pediatric cancer patients. Most patients (65%) had recent neurosurgery, a central nervous system device or cerebrospinal fluid leak, Neutropenia was present in 30% of patients. Fever and altered mental statu s were the most consistent signs at presentation. In addition at least one additional symptom or sign of meningitis (headache, neck pain or rigidity, seizures or photophobia) was present in 77% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most common microbiologic isolates. The five patients with fatal outcome were neutropenic, Neutropenia and seiz ures within 2 days of presentation were associated with long neurologic seq uelae, Conclusions, Meningitis in pediatric cancer patients was associated with si gnificant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric cancer patients with meningiti s had clinical features and microbiology distinctly different from those of adult cancer patients and normal children with meningitis.